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ENCA television news channel reporter Lindsay Dentlinger apologized for her inconsistent treatment of politicians in applying Covid-19 protocols during a recent live broadcast.
The station faced a backlash from social media users who accused the channel of racism and unconscious prejudice, after Dentlinger asked UDM Vice President Nqabayomzi Kwankwa last week to wear a mask during an interview on the 2021 Budget Speech, while FF Plus leader Pieter Groenewald was interviewed without a mask.
News clips also circulated online showing Dentlinger asking other black politicians to don the masks, right after speaking to white politicians without a mask. She has denied it and eNCA is still investigating.
How the media treat Europeans versus how they treat Africans. ????@NCA # BudgetSpeech2021 pic.twitter.com/9VrvvfyTQe
– thabang350 (@ Thabang_350) February 24, 2021
“I fully acknowledge the outrage and I apologize for the disrespect it has caused to people who don’t deserve to be dragged into this,” Dentlinger said Monday night in an interview with eNCA. The Power of Truth with JJ Tabane Program.
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“I felt very bad about how this is perceived and what the country believes is a true reflection of who I am as a journalist. I recognize how it is portrayed. I am portrayed as not speaking to any black man unless he is wearing a mask. “
Last week, managing editor of eNCA John Baily said in a statement the announcer had met with Dentlinger and concluded that his conduct “was not racially motivated or maliciously intended.” He said that Dentlinger was a seasoned journalist with more than 21 years of experience and that she had interviewed many high-profile politicians without anyone questioning her conduct.
“This incident represents an inaccurate and unfair picture of his work,” Baily said.
The statement could have been better
However, eNCA Managing Director Norman Munzhelele said the statement could have been better and that the company could also have completed its investigation into the matter faster.
“I take responsibility, it is a lesson and we will do better next time,” Munzhelele said.
UDM filed a complaint against eNCA with the South African Broadcasting Complaints Commission and the South African Human Rights Commission over the incident. The IFP has declined to be interviewed by the news channel.
The ANC is also expected to picket in front of the eNCA offices in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
READ NEXT: UDM will file a complaint against eNCA for an interview with a ‘racist’ mask
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