Media editor Jacquie Golding-Duffy takes exception to being excluded from this week’s tte–tte
THE meeting this week between President Nelson Mandela and 22 black journalists, among them prominent and respected black editors, has been labelled “fruitful” by presidential spokesman Parks Mankahlana. It was, he says, a “no-holds-barred” discussion and “at the end of the day all differences were sorted out”.
Differences between whom? Personal differences the president has with three black journalists? Differences of opinion on the right to criticise the government and be a barking watchdog?
Or is it merely differences about who the president and the government expect to be barking? Perhaps it would have been more acceptable if it was the “white press” levelling criticism rather than black journalists, who Mandela has been quoted as saying are “being controlled by conservative whites” and will therefore have difficulty in expressing views which are contrary to those of their employers.
I am a black journalist and take exception to an insinuation that I am unable to make up my own mind and engage in debate and criticism because I work for a newspaper that is controlled by whites. The fact is that the “white media” are transforming rapidly, with the National Empowerment Consortium and other black empowerment groups taking control across the industry, in print and radio.
It is distasteful that our colleagues saw fit to have tea with the president in a bid to iron out differences, because such an exclusive invitation should only have been accepted if all journalists were represented. I do not think it bodes well for the industry if journalists continue to separate on the basis of colour, especially now that a supposedly unified South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) is in the process of being formed. I thought this was an effort to unite black and white journalists.
The relationship between the media and the government should be nothing less than adversarial, for the benefit of debate and democracy. It is only a vigilant watchdog press that can keep the government on its toes, and that means both black and white journalists meting out criticism and praise where they are due.
We journalists should be encouraging a situation where we all can speak out without fear or favour, and then not feel obliged to sit down with the government and debate the reasons for our stance.
Meetings between government officials and the media should only take place when there is something the government wants disseminated, or when there is opportunity for healthy debate in which all journalists, not just a handful, can engage.
Thami Mazwai, who led the media delegation, said he was “quite happy” with the outcome of the meeting, adding that the “parameters” of the responsibility of journalists were spelt out and that there was a guarantee that the government would not interfere with the “calling of journalists”.
I would have been happier if I had also been invited since I too, like my colleagues, need to know what parameters have been agreed to on my behalf.