Guidebook for court reporting now available

"Many journalists find themselves covering court stories without much notice and without much guidance or knowledge of the law and the courts. The handbook is meant to help them plug their knowledge gaps, be more assertive in their interactions with the courts and more accurate in their reporting," explains media industry trainer, Paddi Clay, who led the publishing project on behalf of SANEF's Education and Training Committee.

The primary handbook is a handy pocket size, so that it can be carried into court and used on the job. The second book, a glossary with additional guidelines, is intended for the newsroom and is designed to help everyone from reporters to sub-editors produce court stories that are accurate and understandable for the reader or listener.

Answer concerns

The project is meant to answer concerns around the quality of court reporting first raised at SANEF's Skills Indaba in 2002, and echoed by AIP's community and grassroots newspaper publishers in 2005. The editors and publishers noted that 20 years ago, cadet reporters and journalism students were routinely tested on their knowledge of law and the courts, and that they depended heavily on Kelsey Stuart's The Newspaperman's Guide to the Law.

South African law has changed significantly since then, but no new guides have been published to help journalists understand the evolution of the law or interpret events in court.

"We wanted a book that would look at court reporting from the perspective of the reporter who needs to know, quickly, what to do when sent to court to cover a case," says AIP president, Justin Arenstein.

"This first edition is not a definitive legal textbook, but is rather a practical step towards empowering journalists covering the courts and improving reporting on justice."

Kevin Ritchie provided his Master's degree research as the base document for the handbook. SANEF member and veteran journalism trainer Gwen Ansell helped edit the books and turn them into an invaluable aid for journalists.

Endorsed by chief justice

The pocket-guide has been endorsed by Chief Justice Pius Langa, and provides an overview of the country's justice system, court procedure, the rights of the different parties, as well as guidance on what can and cannot be covered according to the law.

The glossary features a more detailed introduction to the law, and comprehensive definitions for judicial and police jargon, ranging from interpretations of Latin and other legal terms, to common definitions for abused nouns such as gangs, syndicates, and the like.

Both books also include a series of basic checklists for journalists to ensure they have complied with all the requirements for balanced, accurate, contextual reporting, including tips for avoiding common pitfalls on issues such as defamation, contempt of court, and prejudicial reporting.

SANEF and AIP both stress, however, that as South African law is based on precedent it is constantly changing. Both organisations will therefore issue regular updates of the book, and related issues, through their websites.

With power comes responsibility

Chief Justice Pius Langa formally launched the books at the Constitutional Court on Thursday evening, 17 August, 2006. In his Foreword to the handbook, he writes: "Judges and magistrates have little power outside of the courtroom to explain or defend their positions and are uniquely reliant on journalists to convey their decisions to the broader population. .... With this power comes responsibility, not to the courts, but to the public and to our young nation as a whole to report on the work of the courts accurately and fairly but not uncritically."

All SANEF and AIP members will receive complimentary copies of the Reporting the Courts books. Anyone else interested in ordering sets at R185 (or R200 including packaging and postage) should contact:

SANEF Secretariat:
Tel +27 (0)11 442 3785
Fax +27 (0)11 442 3784
Email
Website www.sanef.org.za/orders (order forms available)

AIP Secretariat:
Contact: David Katz
Tel +27 (0)11 721 3211
Email
Website www.independentpublisher.org

The joint SANEF/AIP project has been funded by MAPPP Seta, Open Society Foundation of SA (OSF-SA), and Netherlands Institute of Southern Africa (NiZA).