Taking a medium term view, there has been an interesting shift as regards the prospects of press self-regulation in South Africa - and it's positive. This is the gist of my research paper presented at the SA Communications organisation conference in Potchefstroom today. SEPT 2010: Here's an updated version in the light of subsequent developments.

Full text of a speech I gave at the inaugural meeting of the Press Council, Johannesburg, 2 November 2007.

This body really has to succeed - if it can't win respect from editors and government, as being above the fray, then we're in big trouble. Everybody. Government, media, public. The scenario then will be external regulation, rather than self-regulation.

Today’s the launch of body that’s supposed to bolster the SA Press Ombudsman – a new Press Council. There are a good number of changes needed that I wrote about in my column Converse this week. Too late for inclusion were the following titbits received from outgoing Ombud, the former Sapa editor Ed Linnington.

Q: What would you say in a nutshell has been the value of the past ten years of the ombud?