CASSANDRA GUDLHUZA | Government urgently needs to hasten its intervention in current ‘Broadcast Yourself’ pandemic

“Don’t love your job – job your love” and other idiotic utterances have become the daily bread freely served to countless masses on social media. While this particular video went viral because audiences across the world clocked its sheer absurdity, there is, however, a serious pandemic spreading faster than Jacob Zuma changes his mind.

The epidemic I’m talking about is the free-market podcast environment, where absolutely anyone who can afford a R300 microphone from Takealot, owns a smartphone, has access to the internet, and possesses an untested and unchallenged point of view on any subject, can freely put out content with absolute authority.

This week alone, I’ve come across a number of video clips that were truly vexing. One was yet another new podcast where a Rastafarian gentleman claimed that guardians and parental figures shouldn’t “parent their children but rather discover them.”

Sir!!!

As a parent to teenagers, I literally wanted to throw my phone against the wall or better yet, sendsome social workers to his home for a welfare check on his kids, if he even has any, since it’s evident that one doesn’t need to be qualified to speak on something.

Before that video, there were countless others where not just inane views were shared, but deeply harmful and dangerous content that will surely be absorbed by many, particularly those who may not be as discerning to BS or those with faulty blabla meters.

Take the Rapture-gate of September 2025 as another example. This was the ultimate climax of months of irresponsible podcasters who continued to platform (clearly) unwell Christian extremists for clicks, views, and engagement.

Across the world, this stream of content reached numerous vulnerable individuals, prompting them to quit their jobs, sell their belongings and shun the “sinners” in their families because apparently Caucasian Jesus was on his way back to beam them up.

For weeks, we watchedas many individuals climbed onto this bandwagon, and personally, I couldn’t help but wonder whether these Christian crusaders were aware that some of the podcast hosts responsible for spreading this madness had previously shared videos of themselves dramatically hugging an occupied coffin at a funeral, or even broadcasting live from the scene of a burning house - for god knows what reason.

And what about the trauma-ridden teenagers and society’s downtrodden who are interviewed by unqualified people cosplaying as Oprah or Mam’Angie? Week after week, they bare their souls, name names (without even the slightest consideration for issues such as the POPIA Act or the personal and communal consequences), while being poked and prodded into feeding the pipeline of social media pain porn that onlookers can’t seem to get enough of. Do you think these people receive any meaningful help after the fake director yells “cut”? I’d bet my two front teeth that they don’t.

So, is this really harmless stuffmeant for entertainment purposes only? I think not.

While not nearly enough is being done globally to curb this malaise, countries such as Canada and China have made moves to regulate online content. These governments have chosen not to ignore the reality that society now consumes its news and information differently than before and they recognise that misinformation and harmful content have found fertile ground in the hands of those whose main agenda is growing their follower numbers and making coin at whatever cost.

In South Africa, the recent case involving media personality Minnie Dlamini and popular platform Podcast and Chill, where abominable remarks were made about the former, prompted the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to look into developing policies to regulate online content meant for public consumption.

The latest development on that is Minister Solly Malatsi stating that “the matter is currently under consideration through the Draft White Paper on Audio and Audiovisual Media and Services and Online Safety.”

Malatsi was responding to queries about whether the growing podcast industry would fall under the regulatory oversight of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).

As a former journalist and columnist, I can say that having a chain of command - where a number of people who were more knowledgeable and experienced and some whose job it was to ensure that one’s opinion didn’t cross the line into offence or harm - was absolutely invaluable. I only truly appreciate this in hindsight, given the world we currently live in.

Yes, I am all for free speech. But in the same vein, I am a huge proponent of responsible broadcasting and content sharing. Rising to prominence or becoming an influencer should never come at the cost of innocent, gullible, bored, or vulnerable consumers.

Government absolutelyneeds to enter this chat.

Cassandra Gudlhuza is a former journalist and columnist, who is currently a communications consultant.