When powerful men harass journalists

[View in browser]( [Mail & Guardian]( M&G Mornings | Thu 14 Sep   A media colleague was speaking to an often-venerated senior parliamentarian recently when he made an inappropriate remark, one that most would deem sexual harassment. It is not the first time that this man has made grossly inappropriate and unsolicited remarks to a female journalist or, we are told, female members of the public. But, as with many men in power who are cursed with thin moral skin, the dilemma for the journalist is whether to oust him as a serial sex pest. There should be no dilemma, you say, oust the swine. But there very often is a dilemma when it comes to confronting society’s elites. First, the man is a household name and revered by many. Should the saga be made public, the journalist will probably be painted as the villain in this scenario, the proverbial Jezebel, despite there being no evidence of that. Second, the man has been a good source for the journalist, which is probably why he feels entitled to behave the way he does — a special little quid pro quo. Either way, it is the journalist and her family who, experience has told us, will probably lose this battle, and why she is becoming increasingly reluctant to talk to him. One needs look no further than the Jani Allen story as an example. Not only will my journalist colleague likely lose the battle, but outing a high-ranking predator will probably be a career killer. There is evidence that President Cyril Ramaphosa does not care much for the extracurricular activities of his cabinet members, nor they for his, no matter how sordid or corrupt those activities may be. To blow the whistle on a sex predator in Ramaphosa’s administration will probably lead to nothing. Pardon me, it will lead to lots of dithering, and then nothing. If one takes a brief tour of ANC history, the women’s league has always been an open supporter of Jacob Zuma, a proud philanderer whose friends’ daughters are not immune to his proclivities. Should my colleague “go public”, well, the South African Police Service has a pathetic record of investigating such crimes, particularly those involving the hallowed political inner circle. South Africa’s newsrooms are not immune to the social ills experienced in other workplaces, but we do prefer to pretend it does not happen, often using the excuse that we don’t want to become the story. Although many workplaces have strategies to stop or at least curb such behaviour, the media industry falls behind. Instead, we tell ourselves it comes with the territory. The power dynamic between journalists and powerful sources is unique and requires the journalist, particularly female journalists, to suck it up and brush it off, we say. But the unsolicited advances, the consistent innuendo and the openly predatory behaviour eventually take their toll on one’s personal and professional life. For now, going public is simply too dangerous to my colleague’s well-being. Perhaps the tone in this editorial is far too polite, in which case, to make it easier for the powerful predators in the public and private sectors to understand: that young woman you are ogling is not interested in you unless she says so, so back off before you become a headline.  Des Erasmus | Online Editor --------------------------------------------------------------- Inkatha Freedom Party founder and president emeritus Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, who served as traditional prime minister to a succession of Zulu kings, died early on Saturday 9 September 2023, after a lengthy spell in hospital. 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