On the surface, you might be tempted to ridicule Independent Media owner Iqbal Survé’s crass attempt to evade responsibility for the way he has destroyed the media company — both its reputation and its business — by running a crude misinformation campaign blaming Standard Bank for his self-inflicted woes. After all, it’s all so amateurish, so blindingly obvious. Who could possibly take it seriously? You might be surprised.
On June 15, Independent Media’s faux investigations team, the humorously named Falcons, ran a story by editor Sizwe Dlamini headlined “Independent Media to Further Review its Structure”. It included the information that “the company would be redesigning its business operations in consultation with employees to make it more sustainable. This business redesign will result in possible headcount reduction.”
The piece also quoted Independent Media CEO Takudzwa Hove, who said: “We have been forced ... to now make these difficult calls, and go where our competitors have already had to go by trimming our human capital component.”
“Trimming our human capital component.” Quite the mealy-mouthed euphemism for firing people. By July 19, the trimming had turned into retrenching at least 40% of staff.
The fact that the original story about the mass retrenchment was written under the banner of the Falcons “investigative” unit is an indication of how laughable their idea of investigative journalism is. Or their idea of journalism in general, really.
This is the Falcons’ manifesto: “The Falcons mission is to provide quality in-depth reporting on matters that would otherwise not be covered by mainstream media, to equip the public with factual information that are hidden from the public eye so they can be able to demand accountability from the country’s leadership. — We speak truth to power.”
I’ll break that down for you. First, the rallying cry of the YouTube conspiracy theorist in the basement, “we cover stuff the mainstream media won’t tell you”.
Independent Media describes itself as “one of the oldest printing, publishing, and distribution companies of newspapers over the past 100 years in South Africa”. If that’s not mainstream, I don’t know what is. So when the Falcons claim to report on matters that would otherwise not be covered by mainstream media, that’s because mainstream media isn’t known for making stuff up to satisfy an owner’s agenda. Unlike the media group who brought you Ten Imaginary Babies, real media has to operate under ethical and industry guidelines.
And then, the idea that they’re equipping the public with “factual information that are [sic] hidden from the public eye, so they can be able [sic] to demand accountability from the country’s leadership”. Now that’s funny. What it means is that they’re a useful tool for introducing false narratives into the national and global discourse, which allows for a level of information manipulation that serves the needs of their master. Speak truth to power? Rather say, spread untruths on behalf of power.
Speak truth to power? Rather say, spread untruths on behalf of power
Just after the Falcons’ “investigative” whitewashing on the forthcoming trimming of human capital, there was a sudden spate of sob stories about how Standard Bank is trying to destroy the lives of Independent Media staff by shutting the company’s accounts.
I first noticed this while walking past Newspaper House, the long-time home of the once venerable Independent Media, and up Wale Street. Overnight, dozens of posters for the local Independent titles had sprung up, as if some angry dog had decided to mark his territory by urinating on every lamppost, festooning the city of Cape Town like deranged corporate graffiti. Stacked three high, all angrily attacked Standard Bank for supposedly being the cause of Survé’s business predicament.
For example, there were personal pleas from anonymous writers claiming to be employees of Independent. On August 2, in a letter to the editor headlined “Standard Bank Takes Food Off Tables,” anonymous Survé puppet number one wrote: “I am a Standard Bank client for the past 28 years. I am employed in the editorial production department at Independent Media’s office in Durban. I write in my personal capacity, anonymously, for fear of having my account closed as well. Remember, this can happen to you too.”
We are supposed to believe that the “fear” of having Standard Bank close their account is why the writer has opted to remain anonymous. I put it to you that the media group that famously made up a journalist so as to be able to publish pieces that were in all likelihood penned by Survé and/or his spin quack, Feroza Petersen, are probably also responsible for this saccharine nonsense.
And this bit is pure bunkum. “Our fight is not just for ourselves; it is a fight for the heart of our nation, a fight for the right to be informed, and a fight for the values of democracy. Losing our jobs means that there will be no money for rent/paying mortgages, school fees, food and clothes.”
There’s another one, published August 3, titled “Widowed Mother of Two Pleads with Standard Bank CEO Sim Tshabalala”. In part, it reads, “I hope this letter finds you well, though I must admit, my heart is heavy as I write these words. I am a widow, a mother of two children attending university, and the primary caregiver for my elderly mother. Working at Independent Media has been a lifeline for my family, providing us with the means to make ends meet and strive for a better future.”
The piece contains the usual attempt by Survé to present himself as the victim of jealous people who are against his self-proclaimed mission to build an inclusive media. “Inclusive” apparently translates as making sure that he fires everyone, regardless of who they are.
The second anonymous writer says: “It is disheartening to witness the potential loss of my job and the livelihoods of my hard-working colleagues simply because of your apparent disapproval of our shareholder, Dr Iqbal Survé. This action seems to be politically motivated.”
Again and again, Survé’s message is that it’s not his fault he has destroyed Independent Media, it’s the fault of politically motivated people.
The piece is signed: “Operational Division Staff Member, Independent Media, Cape Town — and Standard Bank account holder. *Names withheld for fear of reprisals from the banks.”
There is a deep, deep irony in the fact that these pieces are all appended with the disclaimer, “The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.”
Oh, but they do. That’s pretty much all they do.
Here are some other headlines for stories that try to absolve Survé of blame. They also shamelessly try to convince readers that Standard Bank could turn on them next. They have different names attached to them, from a selection of “multimedia journalists” to the Sekunjalo Group’s communications specialist, but all share the same phrasing and narratives, and many emphasise the 1,600 people facing job losses.
“Standard Bank’s Closure of Independent Media’s Accounts is an Attack on all South Africans” (August 7) attempts to persuade us that “Standard Bank’s actions against Independent Media SA and IOL are an affront to all South Africans. These are not faceless entities; these are institutions that employ around 1,600 people, supporting over 10,000 dependants.”
“Standard Bank to Silence our Voice” (August 9), by “radio personality” Bobby Brown, tells us that “the livelihoods [of] thousands of Independent Media staffers (and their families), me included, will be cut off next week”. He also tells us, “in the interest of transparency”, (not a phrase you’ll see a lot of on IOL), that “I must declare that I am a fan of Dr Survé’s, due to the fact that several years ago, he was the only businessman who was prepared to invest resources into my own start-up business, with no expectations.”
Oh dear. You might be a little more circumspect about announcing that your opinion has been bought and paid for.
Some other examples. “Standard Bank’s Hypocrisy Amid Bank Account Closures” (August 7); “Unions Back Indy in War with Standard Bank” (August 4); “Standard Bank Under Attack in Media War: Public, Unions, Politicians Slam Bank’s Behaviour” (August 4); and “Stand Up Against Injustice: Help Stop Standard Bank’s Assault on Your Rights and Media Freedom” (August 3), which really tries to push that Zuma-ish idea that holding a corrupt individual to account, be it a politician or businessman, is actually a personal attack on you.
One article even tried to mobilise around Women’s Month, which must be up there with the most cynical use of a righteous cause since Survé tried to spin his Ten Imaginary Babies into a crusade against human trafficking. An ANC KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson said: “Within the context of Women’s Month, the decision to shut down Independent Media bank accounts should be viewed as a deliberate effort to deny women information that will ultimately empower them with the capacity to change the destiny of our country.”
Mobilising around Women’s Month must be up there with the most cynical use of a righteous cause since Survé tried to spin his Ten Imaginary Babies into a crusade against human trafficking
Yes, all very laughable. But this is the thing about the manipulation of information for evil ends — it actually works. Seeing the IOL headlines, and not being immersed in the context the way we are, expat South Africans overseas have texted friends to ask what the hell is going on. Why are banks attacking our cherished free media in this way?
Throw enough bullshit into the world, and some of it will stick. IOL even managed to quote an actual journalist in an article, when it gleefully used bits from Tom Eaton’s considered take on TimesLIVE, where he pointed out the hypocrisy and dishonesty of banks.
But this is the dirty trick of misinformation. The corrupt people spreading disinformation force us into polarised positions, where a column about the bad deeds of one corrupt and desperate businessman can inadvertently bolster the position of a questionable corporate.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.