‘Unfair' criticism of media counterproductive'

Critics firmly believe that Deputy Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula's suggestion in the US last week that SA journalists' negative and unpatriotic reporting on crime contributes to the worsening of the problem is counterproductive, and will likely further damage the government's ‘uneasy' relationship with independent media.

Prof Tawana Kupe, Wits University's Dean of Humanities, told Bizcommunity.com this week: “Politicians often explain or attempt to explain away difficult issues with the country's image or problems by blaming local or international media.

“It does not matter that he did it abroad these days. Media have both global reach and presence if he had said so here it would have been picked up by the global media.

“He will find that it is difficult for audiences to believe that the press is just blowing the matter out of proportion.”

Shooting the messenger

Free State-born Mbalula (38) was quoted last week by sabcnews.com that as saying that although security remains a problem, the SA media should take the blame for most of the country's negative publicity.

Asked whether these accusations are justified by such a high-ranking government official at an international platform, William Bird, Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) executive director said shooting the messenger is not really going to help him do his job properly.

“Attacking media on this basis is unlikely to yield a new and different approach from our media to crime,” Bird said, adding that on this level Mbalula's criticism, if reported correctly and valid or not, is unlikely to result in constructive dialogue.”

Like his fellow academic Lesley Cowling, of Wits University's School of Journalism, Prof Kupe also rejected the deputy minister's suggestion that SA journalists are unpatriotic.

Telling it like it is

“What he is implying is that the media are not sensitive to the interests of the nation and blow normal happenings out of context,” he said.

“The media are not patriotic and the privately-owned media are not driven by patriotism but a combination of factors, including what they see as audience interests' commercial imperatives and in relation to reporting trying to tell it like it is in the public interest.

“I think the criticism is living proof that there is no cosy relationship between the press and government, and that there are and will be ongoing tensions sometimes high between the media and government.”

Bird echoed Prof Kupe's sentiments: “I don't think we can generalise about all media being unpatriotic. Certainly there are a range of different ideological perspectives, some of which are more closely in line with those of government than others.

“It also very much depends on who is making the claim. Certainly the majority of media we monitor are clear about supporting our democracy and our constitution.”

Bird also said that this kind of approach is more likely to yield antagonism and backlash than it will bring positive change.