The SA Press Council has called for submissions as part of its review. So I started writing... and writing. Almost 4000 words and nine pages later, there are more than a couple of ideas about how press self-regulation can be strengthened. In a nutshell:

1. Change the name of the whole institution to "Press Accountability South Africa" (PASA).
2. Create separate bodies for adjudication and appeals.
3. Provide a Public Advocate to assist complainants, and an Advocacy Officer to drive public awareness.

Rapport stuck to its guns yesterday that press self-regulation was bad in principle (their graphic above, an English translation of their article below).

Rapport newspaper editorialised on Sunday against self-regulation in favour of what it called "independent regulation". Ouch.
The idea is something between self-regulation on the one hand, and ruling party regulation (via parliament) on the other.

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.