ABOUT US

GOAL AND OUTCOMES

The Goal of the SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition is to ensure free universal access to quality local public service content on digital and broadcast platforms to strengthen democracy.

We have two Outcomes:

1. Pubic interest media operate independently while being accountable to the public for the delivery of local public interest content.
2. Oversight structures create an enabling policy, legal and regulatory environment and ensure the production and distribution of public service content.

The Goal and Outcomes are articulated in our Theory of Change, along with our six primary activities.

The Theory of Change can be read here.

The SOS Coalition’s Vision Document articulates our vision for best practice audio and audio-visual content and services (AAVCS), and, in particular, the SABC’s public broadcasting and online services media, with the specific aim of lobbying government, regulatory authorities, relevant industries and other stakeholders to promote and implement this vision. The contents of this document have been widely debated by civil society within the structures of the SOS Coalition through a number of roundtable discussions, workshops and public meetings.

The Vision Document has 13 best practice principles and is constantly updated in line with international best practice, an understanding of changes to terminology and exponential growth in the IT industry, including what is often referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR); and future proofing public service media.

The SOS 2023 Vision Document can be read here.

VALUES

Our core guiding values have been deeply debated in drawing up our Membership Code of Conduct, and comprise:

• Social justice. We aim to promote South Africa’s foundational values of human dignity, equality and freedom.
• Respect. Given the denial of respect to the majority of South Africans in the past, we commit to treating each other and whoever we engage with, with respect.
• Accountability and integrity. We require these to build trust amongst ourselves and with those we engage with. We will hold our organisation as well as ourselves accountable for what we say and do, as well as practise utmost integrity in the way we work with each other and in engagements linked to the organisation.
• Authenticity, honesty and truth. We undertake to present ourselves and matters to the world and each other in an honest, authentic and truthful manner.
• Compassion, kindness and care. We acknowledge that the civil society space can be particularly difficult. Understanding that context, we commit to engaging in compassionate, helpful and supportive ways.
• Passion and commitment. We know that social justice work relies extensively on passion and commitment, more so when work is voluntary. Sharing and supporting each other in doing the work is crucial.
• Efficiency and impact. We commit to undertake all agreed work with urgency and purpose for impact. We believe cooperative teamwork and collegiality are cornerstones to maximising both efficiency and impact for the change for which we strive.
• Open, transparent and regular communication. We undertake to consult and communicate regularly with each other at meetings or online forums, and with our stakeholders and role players in ways that promote respect and consideration for others.
• Collaboration, evaluation and constructive critique. We commit to cooperating and collaborating in ways that are respectful of both expectations and capacity. We commit to provide access to, and to share, information relevant to the pursuit of shared objectives. We commit to periodic and mutually agreed monitoring and evaluation of individual actions, as well as joint evaluation of the experience of operating within a coalition framework. And we commit to the right to constructively critique each other's actions and policies in a context of mutual respect.