Media should report accurately on Oscar’s case: Expert

Acting Chief Magistrate, Daniel Thulare says he is concerned
how Oscar Pistorius' murder case is being reported. (SABC)

Lecturer of Constitutional Law at the University of Cape Town Professor Pierre de Vos says journalists and different media outlets should report accurately in the Oscar Pistorius court case.

Speaking on SAfm Forum@8 on Wednesday, De Vos said transparency can be either very good for the judicial system and be bad especially if the reporting is not accurate.

He says: "People get into their own minds a certain view of what happened in the court room. And then if somebody says he acquitted, people can’t understand why the person is acquitted. And they start to be cross because it was reported in a way that made it sound as if the person is guilty and that could create problems for the judicial system. So accuracy is important. I think that is a very strong and important ethical consideration which is not necessarily legal but ethical consideration that the media should have."

The media has been warned to operate within the Constitution when covering court proceedings - including the Oscar Pistorius case. Acting Chief Magistrate, Daniel Thulare told the Pretoria Magistrates court on Tuesday that he is concerned how Pistorius' murder case is being reported.

Pistorius is facing a charge of premeditated murder after he shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in February this year. He was released on R1 million bail. –Edited by Sthembiso Sithole.

This article appeared at SABCNews online on the June 5 20132013