Johannesburg - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has taken action to investigate possible breaches in its editorial code, the public broadcaster said on Saturday.
"This pertains to the manner in which the coverage of the VBS Mutual Bank (VBS) story was handled by its newsroom in Polokwane," SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu said in a statement.
The decision was in line with the ongoing efforts to ensure that the SABC's news editorial principles of independence and impartiality were upheld at all times. Moreover, it was also to safeguard the integrity and credibility of its various news products by ensuring that it delivered content that "is fact-driven".
"Should the investigation in Polokwane reveal evidence that the SABC news service’s editorial principles of independence and impartiality have been compromised, such violations will be dealt with decisively.
“Any selective coverage, perceived or real, poses a real danger to the editorial character of the SABC news brand and therefore any interference, external or internal, in our editorial decision making will not be tolerated.”
The SABC remained committed to providing the South African public news content that was accurate and balanced and in a way that was responsible, transparent, and unrestrained, Momodu said.