Indeed! And congratulations to you, your clan, the couple (Louise and Tony) and SAPRA who made this all possible.

BB
Morgause
SAPC Registrar

Thank you Ginney for your submission. You have had a very exciting year. Well done! Congratulations. Thank you for assisting all of us who followed in your footsteps. We owe you a debt of gratitude!

BB
Luke

Thank you kindly Ms Lotz!
On behalf of the SAPC may we extend our heartfelt thanks for volunteering the work of doing the financial returns for the SAPC, re SARS purposes.
Financial return is an accurate portrayal of the account.
Many thanks
BB
Luke Martin
Convener

Please let me know if you need any assistance with arranging the stalls for Pagan Freedom Day?
I have extensive experience with craft markets and would like to contribute if possible.

Rev. Brigitte Amon Angel'isa Kratz
Sacred Grove

As per the constitution, the SAPC has 3 seats available for Independant solitaries for that Committee.

The Chair calls for nominations and acceptance of three official signed up solitary members for these vacancies.

BB
Luke

INTRODUCTION:

Paganism has received fairly positive media coverage in the past few years but whether the mainstream media has become a “friend” of Paganism remains very much a bone of contention. However, it has also become very clear that avoidance is no longer in Paganism’s best interest, and as Pagans we do need to make our voice heard - and as such contact with the media should be seen as a form of activism.

Pagans can do quite a bit to influence the general public’s view of Paganism by getting out and showing the rest of society that we are normal people who are concerned about the world and the people around us. This is why it is crucial that we, as Pagans and/or Witches, put a positive face on our beliefs.

What we need to guard against when talking to the media is bad information and information presented by any one individual who is deemed to be representative of the Pagan community as a whole. Contact with the media should rather be an attempt to ensure our dignity by removing misconceptions, and not about blowing one’s horn - for this reason I think that it is very important that not one single person be representative of the South African Pagan Council.

WHO SPEAKS FOR THE SAPC?

Paganism is still a long way from being accepted as a “real” or “serious” religion by most non-Pagans. When the media interviews Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, etc members of the clergy, they get asked questions about life: values in our children, community-building, morality and ethics, issues of the day such as euthanasia, abortion, gay marriages, the environment, etc. Yet when it comes to it comes to Paganism - perhaps because Wicca and Paganism are, in part, magico-religions - journalists are always looking for spells and unusual rites, hoping to find something weird.

This is why it is important that the SAPC decide who should be its official voices when it comes to media issues. Perhaps this list should come from the clergy directory listed with the SAPC.

It is not always easy to find people who represent the diversity found within Paganism, and such people should be able to provide assistance, accurate and quotable information. Persons addressing the media should insure that information is always:
• factually correct;
• sensitive and will not cause offence to readers;
• convey a fair and balanced view of religious traditions; and
• carry an authentic voice

SA PAGANS IN THE MEDIA IN 2008:

Last year (2008) seems to have been a rather busy year, and Paganism and Witchcraft did receive a lot of media attention.

However, many of the articles, especially those regarding the African understanding of witches and witchcraft, tend to be rather negative, as were reports linking Paganism/Witchcraft to Satanism by the (new) National Party - which makes it of utmost importance for “contemporary” Pagans and Witches to educate the public at large.

NETWORKING:
It is important to note that all local Pagan/Witchcraft-related internet sites remain at the forefront of publishing news, distributing information and educating the public about Paganism.

An idea worth looking at is the possibility of a collection of photographs on our website to show that Pagans are just people, people who have jobs, families, homes, pets, hobbies, bills, car troubles; birthday parties, who shop for groceries, rent videos, take vacations, etc.

I am aware of the problems related to such a venture, but there may be enough SAPC members who feel “brave” enough to really come out.

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES WHICH PUBLISHED PAGAN-RELATED NEWS:

Cape Argus; Mail & Guardian; Lowvelder; The Sowetan; The Witness; Sunday Tribune; Witbank News; The Weekender; etc

ELECTRONIC MEDIA (Radio, television, web;)

SAPC; SAPRA; Penton Magazine; Vuya Pagan!; IOL; skeptic.za.org; Dispatch Online; News24; The Witness; Sabinet; Free Spirit (television); radio; paganmedia.net; www.religioustolerance.org; etc

(See list of articles at the end of this document)

BACKGROUND TO MEDIA

WHAT IS THE MEDIA?

One of the very things we should realise is that the media
is foremost a business, and every media outlet has one aim: to expand its share of the market. It does this by seeking to grab and hold onto people’s attention. This is why the media concentrates so much on events rather than issues, and especially flashy and colourful events.

And this is where our problem starts for we, like everyone else, would prefer to be taken seriously.

A second problem we face is that media owners are in the business for certain very specific interests, be it political, religious, business, nationalistic, etc. This simply means that there are some outlets we simply have to avoid: there is no point for example in approaching tabloids (the gutter press) if we expect fair and serious reportage.

Newspapers are partisan, and in fact expected to be so by their readers, but in SA the broadcast media is legally obliged to be balanced and fair - although in practice this is not always the case as even public broadcasters are dependant on advertisers for income, and this often means conservatism.

A third problem that we face (yes problem) is the fact that we tend to be rather colourful, fun, outlandish and often even outrageous, television cameras may love us, but it makes it extremely difficult for anyone to take us seriously. Unluckily the mass media tends to see us as entertainment rather than news - and we can thank certain books, television series and movies for that.

News for the most is not something that just happens, it is something that is managed and manipulated, and this may in fact count in our favour. We must just learn to manage it. This means that every action aimed at altering public opinion must have a dedicated media coordinator, whose job is to ensure that our point of view reaches the wider world.

Timing, however, is even more critical. Give journalists enough notice of an initiative, but not so much that they forget about it. Two weeks prior to any event a press release should be drawn up and made available to the media. This must be followed by a reminder two to three days before any event. We must also learn to pick the day we wish something to appear in the press. Sundays (for the Monday edition) is best, as news tends to be rather thin on Sundays.

Journalists speak only one language, and that is their own. If you are going to reach them you have to speak their language too. This means that press releases should mimic the format and style of a news story

News, of course, is meant to be all about novelty, so emphasise what is new about your news.

We should also ensure that whatever we give to the media is concise (in most cases). Media people will read the first four or five paragraphs if you grab their attention with essential data, such as what, when and where the event is taking place. They do not want to read a long polemic about Paganism If you send them a lengthy dissertation instead of a concise news release, it will end up in the dustbin or the email-deleted box. If they want more info, they will contact you and do an interview over the phone or in person. This is the very reason why releases should be brief as you want to entice media into interviewing you about the event.

Email is the best way to contact the media. But, do not keep sending it day after day if you do not get an immediate response! Doing this will make you look unprofessional and get you ignored, or worse – achieve negative publicity.

WHEN IS THE MEDIA INTERESTED IN US?

During the so-called “Witchy times” of the year, such as Halloween, Christmas, Easter, the Solstices - for some reason, reporters who interview Pagans about the winter and summer solstices tend to be more serious; there is less emphasis on magical powers and spells, and more on nature and the passage of the seasons.

FIELDS OF INTEREST FOR MEDIA:

The media is interested in very specific news which they deem newsworthy. These include:

• Satanic ritual abuse scares.
• Religious-based hatred or discrimination towards Pagans.
• The Pagan origins of various holidays, including Easter, Christmas, Halloween and May Day. Also other significant dates in the calendar such as the summer and winter solstices and the equinoxes.
• Local news such as the opening of New Age bookstores and psychic fairs, annual meetings, etc
• Racial and religious tolerance
• Books and their relationship to real-life witches and Pagans.
• Statements by mainstream religious groups regarding what they term the occult.
• Religious unity
• Witchcraft laws
• Witch hunts
• Pagan weddings
• Faith-based initiatives
• Art
• Pagans in the workplace
• Community service
• Green issues
• Health
• Fortune telling
• Feminism
• Pagan traditions
• Magic(k)
• Sex
• Ethics
• Pagan unity
• Arts

WHAT THE SAPC NEEDS TO LOOK AT REGARDING A MEDIA ACTION PLAN:

• As mentioned above, deciding who the spokespersons for the SAPC are;
• We need to “target” the media with very specific news items. Let’s not wait for them, we should bring the news to them.
• Perhaps SAPC members could help to keep an eye on national, regional and local news regarding to Paganism and Witchcraft as it is difficult for any single individual to track such news. Members could then email these articles to the SACP.
• Creating a media-kit regarding the South African Pagan Council;
• I have compiled a kit for SAPC spokespersons filled with tips on how to write articles, press releases, letters to the editor, etc.
• I am also busy writing a media kit which gives the basics of Paganism, Wicca, Witchcraft, Heathenism, terminology, etc. Contributions from SAPC members would ne welcomed.

These kits will be mailed to the SACP Convener within the next two weeks, and if up to standard could be placed on the SACP site.

MEDIA: 2008

These are some of the articles published last year in which Paganism, Witchcraft (either contemporary or African), etc were mentioned.

Independent Group newspapers
'Toddler was victim of Satanism' 3 February 2009
Congo children being tortured - UN 31 January 2009
I was mistranslated - Tokyo 29 January 2009
Open letter on Malema, Tokyo comments 29 January 2009
Malema, Sexwale have news for parly ladies 27 January 2009
COPE women speak on Sexwale comments 27 January 2009
Tokyo unapologetic about 'witchcraft' comment 27 January 2009
Sexwale, Malema comments incensed COPE 26 January 2009
SA in elections mood 25 January 2009
COPE demands apology from Sexwale 25 January 2009
Dirty start to election campaign 25 January 2009
Sexwale slams COPE for using 'witchcraft' 24 January 2009
Witch hired to hunt debt dodgers 16 January 2009
Woman burnt alive 7 January 2009
Five die in witchcraft attacks 29 December 2009
Two burnt alive in 'witchcraft' killing 28 December 2008
Family burned to death in 'witchcraft' attack 26 December 2008
War of words hots up 15 December 2008
Strong arm of the law our only hope 11 December 2008
Paganism not a cult, say Donna Vos 7 December 2008
Babies bred for sale 9 November 2008
Albinos' biggest fear... 3 November 2008
'Our men demand our HIV medicines' 16 October 2008
Albinos flee sorcerers and organ traders 14 October 2008
Albinos live in fear after Burundi attacks 2 October 2008
Potion kills three in Malawi 1 October 2008
Woman killed in witchcraft case 23 September 2008
East London boxer hit by 'bizarre' illnes 22 September 2008
Finding the courage to wage peace 21 September 2008
Riot over soccer witchcraft kills 11 16 September 2008
Four die as village blamed of witchcraft 12 September 2008
ECape men admit to witchcraft killing 6 September 2008
Old woman shot, cops muse Cape mining link 2 September 2008
Back to school for Togo girls 18 August 2008
Woman 'gives birth' to cups 14 August 2008
Pastor held for locking up 'child sorcerers' 1 August 2008
Another victim of circumcision ritual 18 July 2008
'Witchcraft' made me do it, says judge 14 July 2008
The curse of the Greek penis 11 July 2008
Witchcraft Bill on hold 24 June 2008
Villagers lynch seven 'witches': police 18 June 2008
Nightmare on skelm street 8 June 2008
A mental stigma 4 June 2008
India villagers burn woman 30 May 2008
Kenyan residents arrested for lynching 11 22 May 2008
Protests follow 'gangrene maid' settlement 22 May 2008
More lesbians live in fear 19 May 2008
Suspect hacked to death 14 May 2008
Cops find headless, limbless body 13 May 2008
Tutu fights for Tibet in freedom march 28 April 2008
How will SA be protected during 2010? 19 April 2008
'It must stop forthwith' 3 April 2008
'Witchcraft' torching in Malawi 31 March 2008
Indian villagers attack a 'witch' 29 March 2008
Moz vigilante killings soars 19 March 2008
Pupils claim 'demon' at school 11 March 2008
Man jailed for genital mutilation 29 February 2008
Fair is foul, and foul is fair 28 February 2008
Mass trances are in vogue 25 February 2008
Government abandoned us, say accused witches 19 February 2008
Bafana need a little more magic 17 February 2008
Elderly find themselves trapped in abuse 17 February 2008
KZN 'muti killing' sparks violence 15 February 2008
Granmother dies in 'witchcraft murder' 10 February 2008
'Chaaban bewitched Zille' 6 February 2008
Is it really the demons? 5 February 2008
'Santa Claus is dead' 11 December 2008
Paganism not a cult, say Donna Vos 7 December 2008
Pagan padre, SAAF 'see eye to eye' 6 December 2008
'We can't unleash you on 8 000 men' 5 December 2008
'Barack-o'-lanterns' light up Halloween 28 October 2008
'Let us support Bafana' 15 October 2008
Bare-foot and in black 13 October 2008
Rholihlahla: the real name of our icon 10 October 2008
Zoo offers discounts to 'animal families' 10 October 2008
Why the Olympics should go with a bang 1 September 2008
Woman 'gives birth' to cups 14 August 2008
The curse of the Greek penis 11 July 2008
Clashes bring Sudan 'to brink of war' 27 May 2008
Lesbos islanders launch legal action 30 April 2008
Tutu fights for Tibet in freedom march 28 April 2008
Please don't get trashed 19 March 2008
Call for St Patrick's Day restraint 17 March 2008
Police crack down on flirting: report 23 February 2008
Malema, Sexwale have news for parly ladies 27 January 2009
Albino murdered in Tanzania 22 January 2009
Cash-hit agencies call in clairvoyant 19 January 2009
Witch hired to hunt debt dodgers 16 January 2009
Woman burnt alive 7 January 2009
Lekota denounces intimidation 14 December 2008
North West COPE witch-hunt warning 8 December 2008
Six-year-old albino girl murdered, dismembered 17 November 2008
Witch-hunt claims 'a figment' 14 November 2008
'It was a ploy to get rid of whites' 13 November 2008
Man held for trying to sell his albino wife 12 November 2008
Palin wants God to show her the way 11 November 2008
Man jailed for killing girlfriend's mom 11 November 2008
Is Palin becoming a burden? 23 October 2008
Another albino murdered 21 October 2008
State vows crackdown on albino killings 21 October 2008
Albinos flee sorcerers and organ traders 14 October 2008
Albinos live in fear after Burundi attacks 2 October 2008
Woman killed in witchcraft case 23 September 2008
Beware the dreaded Lurgi and snap your finger 27 July 2008
Hymns for pope, rock and roll for the dead 2 July 2008
Aussies go for rock 'n roll at funerals 2 July 2008
Political feud 'killing city tourism agency' 9 June 2008
India villagers burn woman 30 May 2008
French serial killer and wife face life 28 May 2008
New name, same job? 11 May 2008
State protect albinos' right 8 April 2008
'It must stop forthwith' 3 April 2008
Indian villagers attack a 'witch' 29 March 2008
Kenyan elder denies masterminding violence 20 March 2008
Five on trial for 'abetting' terror plan 27 February 2008
Mass trances are in vogue 25 February 2008
Test them, readers say 25 February 2008
'Missing Chad opposition leader found' 22 February 2008
'Spanner' confession admitted as evidence 20 February 2008
Uys presents 'proof' of witchdoctor's stay 7 February 2008

Sowetan
‘Witch’ in underpants beaten 14 March 2008
Woman (52) axed to death - four appear in court for killing ‘witch’ 26 November 2008
Villagers accuse woman of witchcraft after she made a gift 02 October 2008
We don’t kill for muti’ 27 August 2008
‘Witch’ an old man suffering from mental illness 07 July 2008
Locals bay for granny’s blood 11 June 2008
Under skins of fear 03 September 2008
‘Cops dodging murder probe’ 16 October 2008
‘Witches’ can practise craft, for now 25 June 2008
Villagers accuse woman of witchcraft after she made a gift 02 October 2008
Ritual arrest 03 January 2008

M&G
Goblins in the cupboard May 21 2008 06:00
Five killed in Eastern Cape 'witchcraft' attack - 27 Dec 2008
Kenya mob burns 15 women to death over witchcraft 21 May 2008
Malawi kids torched to death in witchcraft killings 31 Mar 2008
Cope takes issue with Sexwale, Malema comments 26 Jan 2009-02-04
Justice has not been served 26 Jan 2009
Of stigma and denial - 25 Mar 2008
Burundi's albinos flee witchdoctors 14 Oct 2008
Babies bred for sale in Nigeria 9 Nov 2008
Eastern Cape initiation claims another victim - Mail & Guardian ...18 Jul 2008
Sex curse found at ancient Cyprus site 11 Jul 2008

The Citizen
Five appear in Amsterdam for killing “witch 2008/11/24
Headline: Three die from anti-witch potion in Malawi 2008/10/01
SA witchcraft -- cops ask people to stop casting spells at police 03-Jan-2008
Congo to probe football witchcraft deaths 2008/09/16
Woman, 88, dies in possible witchcraft stabbing 2008/09/03
73-Year old woman killed in E-Cape 2008/09/
Moz woman gives birth to cups 2008/08/
Mpumalanga suspends drafting witchcraft bill 2008/06/24
Sisters torch children to death over witchcraft in Malawi 2008/03/31
Moz sees increase in killings by vigilante groups 2008/03/19
‘Muti killing’ sparks violence 2008/02/15
Police cheer as Kenya's witch-wary looters return war 2008/01/08

Submitted by
Phos Erebos