"As communicators we are uniquely placed and critically aware of the role of a robust free press in any information based environment. Current attempts to curtail this are focused on limiting media's ability to question and probe, when efforts should instead be focused on improving behaviour and entrenching a culture of accountability amongst leaders in both business and government," said MS&L MD Amanda Singleton.
"As a society we should not seek to plaster over a disease of corruption by muzzling those who bring these issues to the national agenda. Instead, our efforts should be to increase the degree to which we hold our leaders to account. Given this, we would call on the entire communications sector to join the groundswell of support against this legislation. More importantly, the communications sector must use its ability to straddle media and client to ensure that communications does not amount to spin doctoring and thus de facto censorship. At the same time we would support a drive to ensure adequate mechanisms are in place to guarantee media is held accountable for fair and balanced reporting.
"Free speech and access to information are the lifeblood of our democracy and were at the very heart of the struggle for freedom. How we regard human dignity is indivisible from freedom of speech. We vigorously oppose the restrictive clauses in the Protection of Information Bill and the proposed Media Appeals Tribunal."
