Mac G backlash highlights importance of regulating podcasts: Diko

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications says the public backlash over MacGyver “Mac G” Mukwevho’s comments about media personality Minnie Dlamini has highlighted the importance of regulating online media.

Mac G and co-hosts made the remarks on his popular podcast last week. They raised serious concerns about the unregulated growth of podcasts, saying harmful content is prevalent.

Committee Chair Khusela Diko says, “There has indeed been a lot of backlash to the comments made by Mac G, but I think for us as a Portfolio Committee, it’s not so much about Mac G, but what it does is bring a razor sharp focus to the issues of podcasting,” adding that “Therefore, it’s important that our legislation is updated to be able to respond to the current challenges and what we’ve been raising with the Minister of Communication, in particular, that where you start is to accelerate the completion of the audiovisual policy.”

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Outdated laws

Diko says most of the country’s laws are outdated, highlighting what she says is the need to establish institutions that will monitor platforms like podcasts.

She says most of the people who become victims of hate speech through podcasts often find themselves without proper channels to file complaints.

“South Africans should have accessible ways of being able to raise the issues with podcasts. You’ll see in recent times that they’ve been people who have gone to the courts, for example, either raising hate speech or raising defamation. But not everybody has that sort of money lying around for them to be able to lay such complaints. So, whether we then expand online content like podcasts to broadcasting in South Africa, that would be one option to immediately bring them into the ambit of the law.”