COMMENT

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INSTITUUT ·VlR EIETYDSE GESKIEDENIS

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Die Uni\tersit~it van die Oranje·Vrystaat

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INSTITUUT viR EIETYDSE GESKIEDENIS . :Die Universiteit van die Oranje·Vrystaat

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1996

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Th.se. log"he, "';Ch q"«tions or pro- ' " , ~ ... lessional standard.<, a~ matters that

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^{black j}ournalists and the ~ of the

o ^tnn1.. e n t ; '-,

^{ml'rli.a han to add}ress as a matter of urgency.

P

^Rf"sun:sT SJ:U.OS l\13ndcla's _ meeting with black editors 3}1d senior journalists o,n Monday

\o1.'aS long overdue. .

Sine!' April 1994 much has chan~ed in our country. In the plaC!' of the old , repr~h"e and racist CO'-cmment h~ .

etM~ed a MW one., rlrcted d~ti.

caUy by _Af \be vast majority of _,.South "_' ...:' .

ric::ans.. . .. ,

Simultaneously. most InStitUtions.:..· ] private and publk - have ei~r trans- rormed themselves to ~ rdnant to the changes or are grappling ^{wtth •}

- -It would., thtrd"ore, haw bet-n sur-I prising if the Press aod hs role in ^(he tnnsfonnatioo had DOt'come under

I scrutiny. Aner all, \be m:ed.ia are an

• I . . .: bnporta.,t de:mftlt or

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r"'\\'~w tMmJlTOI"byWbtai9? ~IL~.

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^{I" '} MKtlhe 800rtt 0( ~tion ro~ rid-

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to ~ on bd>alf

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. . Gonnuueot and the Pn:ss - one being

. ~tits - mean.tlgt a m.atioo-

.st(]p bdweeo than h: ana.oid.abk.

1k emtral ~ Is the _tore 01 that relationship and the role ,of the Pra:s.

partiruJarly that of bW:ttjoumalists.

Sp<dftcaIly, ~ jwn)aI ... bovlng been ser:m ror _1oDI:.lirilt-as part otik _ aplnsIopartiXld. .... to dttide what tbelt ... ~tnft is to be.

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Do they. ~RII:

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a :wctor 01 the ! .

population that ls largely .till dislKtvan~

tared. ^have a spedal " . to play?

Sbonld their a~ be the same In nery respect as thator thdr .... hlte toaaferparts?

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. Most welcome-i.tMandda"s-a<:I<I1(O.wi:

ed""ent of the right or Ihe media 10 pia)' , ,an inrorm:athe an.d.!DttdHl.2g.Jll:!~

But gh'cn the turbulent nature of sodaJ rdations In a democracy, this gen- tleman's agnoemenl must. be backed bv

• (0""&1 pact between tM state and

c:irlJ

. sockty

1ft'

^{Is to su~ the test of ti~}

Tf'EFWOO

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INSTITUUT VIR EIETYDSE GESKIEDENIS Die Universiteit van die Oranje·Vrystaat

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2 4 11. 1996

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^{T WAS k}iss and make up . lime earlier this wcell. ~ . r~sident Mandela mad •. ::.

peace with black }oum'!ttsts who he had the previous weoek accused of being part 01 a sinuLe:r white plot to undermine lbe ANC government. The gist of the President's argument seems to be tbat he believes that black journalists working for white- Imperiall.s1 nc1rSpaper companies are so scared of •

h,~U1g their Wbs lhat tbey are

p~red to in'ite wh.alever tbe evU runniDg dog! or ca!>italism tell tbem.

Not surprislng]:,. black joumalisu wen: a IItUe put qut wltb the Pr~ident's apparent laet. of confidence In lhe!r profe.uionallntegrlty and bis sleildfOlsl belief that no black per.ron could conceiVlbly have a point of view which was at . odd! With tbe ANC polilbu"* • '" meetln" 'I.-as duly set u'P' to Iron out dlfferenccs and the two

~Idc:s claimed to have had a robust meeUng and pledged to work for healthier relations:

untillhe next outburst that Ls.

r thougb! the President nlher spoiled the effect by

:eoervlng bLs rigbt to kave

anotber t.antnlm whenever he felt the integrity of tbe: ANC

"as cbolUenged. While I can fully sympathise with the Prestdeol's irritation at shoddy reporting aod SCJ\5,lIUonalist .Ioumall..sr.:l. I .am not at all Cf:Ni.D lbat 'lire should be contenllo .. 110" the ANC 10 be the final arbiter on ",ltat Ls and

not faIr crltici3m.

VI agging fingers JJ , ld. and new put

pr~s freedom in

·.its place

moNO

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,-.omu

nULLA/to

( OUT TO LUNCH

tbings ^{Tbe mm}

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comment"from the thougt.. ,n.d the one

urves tu reinforce, U:.e fears of tbe rapidly dwindling band of potential foreign il\vestors, Lt hb contenUOfl tb.1lt ·as long as the pre3 Lt cvnl-olled ~.

co~·atlve whites we will continue to have a problem of senior bl.1ek jou~li.sU

Hpressltlg views whicb are not In IC9nnict 'It"ith their

employers·.

In other wonU. tbe meeting need not have happened beeaasr, whatever they may

claim, Mr Mandela will never believe thllt black joum;Jolists are 'lllTiting from lbe be;Jon.

I have commenttod In this column before th.at the ANC .

~ to be making mo~ use of raeiallllurs as it br'CQm~s

SlarinSly ilpparent lhat they arc: not up to the Usk of loveming !.his country.

W

HAT precisely does he mean by ·C'ONCrvaUve wbltes' I WOnder? Do the

di~tol"$ of Times Media or Independent Ne,"papers c1andesUnely dress in khaki onifonns at the weeke1ld, drink mampoer and go to giraffe braaLs?

Or does the President reillly believe lhilt manilgement of newspapers i.5 in tbe hands of

TREFWOOROE

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INSTITUUT VIREIETYDSE GESKIEDENIS Qie Universiteit van die Oranje-Vrystaat

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~ple who have made no auempt to adapt to lite new South Africa?

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Yoa could dismiss Preslcknt Mande1a'3 commenu &3 jWlt anolber presldenUal gaffe. or .. yoo coo1d fif:e iD It • more •

ainlster warnlng lMt the goveJ"ll1Tlenl b beeoming I~ . LateraDl about conUnoed whIli ownershIp of bu~ • BWfi~ today. land tomorT'O""

0.0000 The firsfhlot or • mid-life crtsts-came when 1 bougbt a pair of python sk.ln cowboy I)ools j~ ovu a ye.ar ago.

J thought little of ltat the time, putting It dowu to 81\

lmpulse pQl'Chue brought about by • very J~g lunch

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^{N F} comfohable

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^tbe that ^{0. )U} I wc"t ^{were so-} back to the ,bop and booght ~ normal ~ir of bl"01m stitched cowboy bool5 ror c'feryday

",ear ... the python skin boou

.~ for Sunday best HO'llll'e",u, . w~ I found m~U buying.

complete set of drums (again after lunch coincldenLaUy). I . decided Uult 1 oeeded to La.te a loot at my Ufe and ~t matters in baNlln I!A.!II! 1 ... tempted to start wearl..;.B my balr in a pony tall aDd rolng to rave with 18·ye~r-old blrDbos. .

It lS encUy 10 ,-e.ars since 1 .urted my ^Owtl company acd I thoughl that

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e;w;cU!IC as .ny to late. brea .... · , So, having DO( been invited to I bead up Ll.butJ Ufe, 1 ba~ ' . : 1 decided to tate. slx montti! ^{off .. :} from Janoary le punve.·a· . ;':.

shamelessly be40nisHc • . '

wenyle.. ~ •.

Bot twill keep wrlliDg':""

aad I.ben! .. ab80lut.e.lyllO trut.h· ID the nIDJOIIJ" that the Nlumn

~ to be. renamed "Datro ud 001 to Umc:b-.

TAEFWOORD

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" , 'INSTITUUT VIR EIETYDSE GESKIEDENIS ~

Oie Universiteit van die Ot8n;e-Vrystaat

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Frt. press in all

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· our ^interests

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, y to serve as eyes and ears of

thf~

people, writes

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Nyatsumba

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Now, ;lit 0( the:Ie-thin~ a..re

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^{It is oil-}

.-d«d ~ that Wt:' in the mcdi.1 ~. , ... :"(''1 good ,. .. I dishing out airici5m but .1 ti~ trnd to be h)-pcr~ti\'c to that aiticismwhtoro it is

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that !hemedi. inMN~'~ to w-.dt-rgo reoll ~on. 'This mu~ ^of

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nn:esity ~ the"* the mi!dia:an \\

.'rId should play tn the ax'I5OOdatkJn of <'UT

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. ~ ^.. ~ ~ ^to u.Dt u.oul-rhe R...\e ol"'.~in~~-.

:1 ts ,;.-mmon au..e from br raU:.s of bot!,

~ mec:.:.., &nd poli~ that ~ is. roll'

TREFW(

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