Independent Media hits back at Daily Maverick ‘misrepresentations’ over Competition Commission appeal

Independent Media has accused the Daily Maverick of “hypocrisy” and “misrepresentation” after the publication criticised the company’s decision to appeal one aspect of the Competition Commission’s MDPMI final report.

In a statement released on Thursday, the group said that through an analysis by journalist Rebecca Davis, the Daily Maverick had attempted to portray its appeal as improper, despite it being a constitutional right.

Out of the report, Independent Media challenged the requirement that media houses be members of the Press Council of South Africa (PCSA) to qualify for redress related to Big Tech’s conduct.

“It is absurd for Daily Maverick to presume that it can dictate how other media organisations should interpret or respond to the MDPMI report,” the statement reads, adding that the Daily Maverick’s framing appears aimed at securing “more of the ‘Google bucks’ they covet so eagerly.”

The company rejected suggestions that it is attempting to avoid accountability, saying these claims are “blatantly ill-informed.”

Independent Media said it has run an “independent and fully functioning” Press Ombudsman, Public Editor and complaints mechanism for almost a decade. Independent Media added that these systems follow the substance of the Press Code and allow members of the public and other stakeholders to test its standards.

The group maintains it remains one of South Africa’s largest news producers, with a reach of more than 14 million people each month, or roughly 22% of the population.

Independent Media stressed that qualification for Big Tech redress does not depend on Press Council membership.

“The Press Council is a voluntary body. No publisher should be compelled to join it to access relief,” it said, adding that even the Daily Maverick acknowledges that non-members have also been harmed by Big Tech’s dominance.

The group argued that Daily Maverick is pushing the “false narrative” that accountability can only exist within a “recognised accountability system,” which Independent Media says risks creating a monolithic media environment.

The statement points to international examples where publishers outside formal self-regulatory bodies, such as the Press Council, have qualified for Big Tech relief. It also challenges Daily Maverick’s suggestion that The Guardian avoided organised self-regulation because those systems were “weak.”

In contrast, Independent Media said it invited Big Tech companies to evaluate its own Ombudsman structure, “but they declined, citing a lack of capacity.”

The company emphasised that it holds no ideological opposition to the Press Council, praising its historical role in South Africa’s media landscape. However, it maintains that participation in a voluntary association cannot be imposed as a condition for receiving compensation or participating in value-exchange models.

“Membership of a voluntary association should not be a prerequisite for any form of redress,” the company said.

IOL