Console Tleane
a Second Look
The recent furore surrounding Max du Preez’s comments on radio about President Thabo Mbeki’s alleged infidelities, and later carried by a daily newspaper, begs a relook at the role of the press in South Africa. Such a retrospection becomes even more critical following a call by the Western Cape African National Congress for legislation to restrict media criticism of the country’s highest office.
In light of this, another dimension to the debate, the introduction of a press corps for the Office of the President, has to be analysed.
Attempts to mend the rift between Mbeki and the media seem to be starting to bear fruit. This, at least, is the view of some commentators following a recent meeting between the two parties, aimed at addressing the often acrimonious relationship between them.
It was agreed at that meeting that the feasibility of setting up a special press corps along the lines of the one in the United States White House should be explored.
The seemingly conciliatory tone from most sections of the media after that meeting should provide some relief to Mbeki and members of his executive who have repeatedly misunderstood critical engagement by the media.
There is no doubt that, should a Union Buildings (my phrase) press corps be formed, the presidency will be more visible than before, hopefully to address weekly press conferences just like US presidents do.
Prestige will no doubt attach to being a Union Buildings correspondent.
If White House correspondents are to be cited as examples of what we might have here then we have to pose even harder questions. An honest evaluation of the US correspondents is that they mainly raise arguments within the limits provided by White House.
Specially assigned correspondents are often taken into the confidence of those in power. Such information is seldom published and the reason or defence given is often that there is a need to protect the so-called “national interest”. And this is where a dilemma will lie for media houses and their designated correspondents.
We also need to ask ourselves what will happen if a correspondent comes across information that implicates those in power in some act that is a total violation of the political ethos and law of the country? Will the correspondent feel free to embark on an investigation? Won’t the attraction of remaining close to power inhibit and kill the instinct that says a journalist should seek the truth?
The most critical question that Union Buildings correspondents and their editors will have to answer is: are they in the profession to help oil the state communication machinery or are they in the profession to tell the truth as it is? The role of journalists should be to report the truth as it is and spark debate. Nothing more, nothing less.
This answers the challenge often made to journalists: that they must assist to shape democracy. But this view should also be challenged. Democracy comes about and is consolidated when ordinary citizens and other sectors of society, like intellectuals, are allowed to occupy spaces of debate without any fear.
The media acts as an agency to express this engagement. It also speaks out against any violation or suppression of this engagement.
Dare we say it is the government that should ensure that spaces for expression are not closed? And our eyes will be on it when democracy is threatened, and not on the media.
Console Tleane is a researcher and freelance journalist