For lack of a better word, it would not be too misleading to state that eNCA really fucked up this time.
All the times eNCA got in hot water over fake news
The news network has, in the last six to eight months, been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
It first started out with the dramatic exit of the station’s news boss Kanthan Pillay when it was uncovered that he was broadcasting biased stories.
Then, it was revealed to us that news anchor, whose witty style of reporting we were enchanted by, was very influential at the station. It turned out that he was the anti-ANC and EFF acting editor-in-chief, pulling all the strings all along.
Well, Maggs remains on eNCA for reasons that baffle us and if that was not a big red flag, wait until you hear why social media has drummed up the trending #eNCAMustFall topic.
What happened this time around?
Morning news anchors Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton faced backlash for insinuating that there were divisions in the higher-ups of South Africa’s government after cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma recalled the decision to lift the cigarette ban.
Mngambi and Dutton fanned the flames, claiming this was a clear indication of discord in the ANC-led government.
A day later, the pair returned to our screens with their heads hanging after they deservedly received a lashing for spreading misinformation and driving an anti-establishment narrative at a time when South Africa does not need it.
Social media declines the flatulent eNCA apology
The apology was flatulent and lacked all signs of empathy. It was scripted and the only reason why eNCA is still catching flak for this blunder can be attributed to the fact that it just did not translate well with viewers.
This is how social media has reacted to the apology.