1. Political Coverage The Team: Kishendrie Chetty Taryn Hodgson Loyiso Kato Deshanta Naidoo Qurasha Rajkumar Sello Ramodibe

2. Grocott’s Mail Policy on Political Coverage Political Coverage: - Allocation of resources - Democracy being the legal contestation of the right to control the allocation of the above-mentioned resources - Political coverage will be confrontational in nature - [as] It involves various debates concerning the allocation of resources

3. Aims - Analyse political coverage in Grocott’s Mail - Relationship with GM - Conduct interviews with various Non-governmental Organisations (NGO’s), political parties, Makana Municipality and Grocott’s Mail - To make recommendations for future editorial policy

4. Research Methodology • Qualitative research methods: -Email, Interviews, follow-up • Preliminary interview: - To gather Information • In-depth interviews: - More focused questions

5. Grocott’s Mail • No Formal policy currently • Sources content from East Cape News (Pty) Ltd. • Acts as mirror of community

6. Makana Municipality • Current relationship with GM - Relationship is not good or bad • Approach sometimes very rude “We are not working for the media but we are a public institution” • Suggestions for Policy - Use Community forums - Integrate existing township supplement into newspaper

7. Political Parties • African National Congress - Grocott’s biased in their reporting - Establish a working relationship with Grocott’s • Democratic Alliance Party - Fair in their political coverage - Maintain sound working relationship with the newspaper

8. Political Parties contd… • African Christian Democratic Party - Pleased with coverage - On Municipal matters, responses should be as part of Council as opposed to members of political parties • Communist Party and AZAPO

9. Suggestions from political parties • Parties should be made aware of the channels by which to communicate • No ‘cut and paste’ of press releases

10. NGO’s Sources: • Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) • Centre for Social Development (CSD) • Rotary Club of Grahamstown • The Raphael Centre

11. CSD • No Problems with GM coverage • Liaison person between GM and NGO - E.g. A journalist who will work in conjunction with township people

12. Rotary - Adequate coverage - Community Awareness through current coverage - Press releases submitted regularly

13. The Raphael Centre - Fair coverage - Press releases submitted - Suggested a Media Liaison Person

14. Policy Recommendations • Before policy conceptualisation one should consider how Grocott’s aims to place itself within the community - Normal journalistic conventions to be adhered to (impartiality, fairness, accuracy) • Grocott’s must create own communication with institutions

15. Suggested Policy • Grocott’s should not take a political stance and refrain from party affiliations • Fulfill role as watchdog as well as participatory role in democratic democracy • Aim to create a platform for equal representation and allow diversity of voices to filter through paper

16. Monitoring and Implementation • In-house monitoring like that of Sunday Times (questionnaire) • Review of policy by Board every Five years - Focus groups to be held every three years to review the political coverage like that of SABC’s draft editorial policy • Formalised orientation programme for all new staff (a refresher course for existing staff after a certain period)