Independent Media out

Ordered to retract column referring to News24 journalist, but cited 'censorship'.

- Tori Newby

The Press Council of South Africa expelled the Independent Media group with immediate effect on Wednesday after the publisher's refusal to obey its rulings.

The Press Council is the self-regulatory body that oversees print and online journalism in South Africa.

Press Council chair Judge Fritz Brand wrote that it was unacceptable that publications wilfully refuse to obey the rulings of the Press Council.

This is despite voluntarily having signed an agreement to commit to abide by the press code. Signatories "are bound to comply with any sanctions against them made by the press ombud and the chair of appeals".

Brand added that it was "sad" to expel a Press Council member. This has only happened once before, when the Press Council expelled The Jewish Report in May 2022, he said.

The Press Council sanctioned Independent Media for a column published in Sunday Independent on 3 March, 2024 with the headline: "Is Karyn Maughan South Africa's Leni Riefenstahl - the Nazi Film Propagandist?"