Ferial Haffajee throws in the towel?

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To be honest, I really didn’t see this one coming. It was farther out of my sight, and even if I had tried guessing, my psychic demons would not have given me the satisfaction. I’m sure even to a lot of politics enthusiasts out there, who had come to know and understand that Ferial is one who never backs down, this probably came as a total jolt.
I thought ‘they’ were in for a good fight.

Many would agree that of late she has held her ground, even in the face of some of the ‘toughest’ mercenaries her industry has produced; and has, among other things, ‘rationally tamed’ even some of the most irrepressible individuals ‘political circles’ have managed to cough out.

It’s certainly a blow that no one expected, yet I’m sure she had every reason, as she has stated, to finally budge, and let ‘The Spear’ be taken down from the City Press website. I believe City Press remains a publication which sets out to serve the public (or its audience), to the best of their ability. 

‘But why?’ many might have probably asked. Did City Press merely take it down because of ‘decrepit’ threats that numerable political structures managed to throw at the door steps of this media house? Did they finally meet their match, and instead of standing firm on their beliefs, chose to coil back into submission-mode and let the ‘will of the people’ decide? Surely there are lot of questions into this, but I would not be the first one to actually admit that maybe, and just maybe, their decision came at the ‘right time’.

Firstly, as I mentioned earlier, the publication seeks to serve its audience the best way it possibly can, and what is a publication without an audience, really? This was surely not the most convenient and finely tuned option they had, but I have a feeling there was no other way out of this one. 

Of course, Ferial had a number of options on her plate. She could have fluently ignored the call by the ANC, and other political bodies, to take down the picture. She could have easily turned a deaf ear to all the dissatisfaction and criticism that her publication, Brett Murray and the Goodman Gallery was receiving; and watch from a distance as people pounded heavily on each others’ beliefs and theories; on why ‘The Spear’ should be left on the walls of the gallery and on their website.

We did see the fruits of such an attitude in the past week; especially with the protests that were slowly fermenting out of control, in and around the city of Johannesburg, following the uproar from ‘some’ (and not ALL), members of the public, on what Brett Murray’s artwork represented.

A lot came into question, as she has noted that ‘fear’ did influence their decision to take down the picture. “That we are now a symbol of a nation’s anger and rage is never the role of media in society. We are robust and independent, yes, but divisive and deaf, no,” she was quoted as saying. (www.iol.co.za: 18 May 2012)

Many might disagree, but I surely think City Press took their time to look into the intricacies of what their final decision was going to reciprocate; and from this, I should say the ‘public interest’ was at the heart of the path they took. Dividing the country was not the answer, and certainly it was not City Press’ 

intention to bring South Africa into a sudden state of upheaval and violence.

They have the public interests, reliability, principles and creed to look out for. As much as some may see this as defeat, I see it as bravery, and one that forced them to swallow their ego (which others failed to do), in pursuit of universal unison. 

Honestly, City Press has swallowed a ‘bitter pill’, alas on behalf of everyone who believes in peace and unity, but chose to stand in the vicinity. Some might say they went down on one knee, but I see it as success. City Press lives to see another day, and serve its loyal readers as it has always done before. 

Till next time folks.....

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? - Mark 8:36