By Jacobs Botha,
President Cyril Ramaphosa has committed to opening direct talks with the media sector to strengthen journalist safety, support media sustainability and confront the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, as he formally received the Media20 (M20) Johannesburg Declaration in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Wanderers Country Club, Ramaphosa endorsed the concerns raised by media leaders from South Africa and across the world, particularly the intensifying dangers faced by journalists reporting from conflict zones.
“I support all these things that you’re focusing on. The safety of journalists is absolutely important. It’s been a horror for us to watch how journalists are targeted in war zones,” the President said.
Ramaphosa also welcomed the Declaration’s strong positions on women in media, gender-based violence, children’s rights, AI governance, and the commercial pressures threatening the viability of independent journalism. Globally and across Africa, shrinking revenue models, misinformation and hostile political environments have placed enormous strain on newsrooms.
“We know that your sector is really facing challenges of sustainability, of survival, and that is the type of discussion that we would like to talk to you about,” he said.
The President pledged to create regular, structured engagements with the media sector.
“I am willing and my office will make it possible that we sit down and have a proper discussion… and have a real constructive engagement on how we continue to create a conducive environment for you as the media continue operating,” he said.
Ramaphosa also praised South Africa’s constitutional protections for media freedom, saying the country remains among the highest-ranked globally for free expression.
“You did not talk about our wonderful constitution, but you touched on it saying that we’ve got media freedom in South Africa, and we are, like number one,” he remarked.
