SA’s media ‘remains in the service of white supremacy’

• Published date: 10 March 2024
• Publication title: Sunday Tribune

In an ideal world, Mandela’s defence of the media is unproblematic. Unfortunately, the world we inhabit is undeniably shaped by vested interests, which rarely if ever favour or savour the voice of the people. History has proven that the media is not immune to vested interests

Speaking of his own experience, Mandela acknowledged as much. In his report at the ANC 1997 elective conference Mandela observed: “Even a cursory study of the positions adopted by the mainly white parties in the national legislature during the last three years, the National Party, the Democratic Party, and the Freedom Front will show that they and the media which represents the same social base have been most vigorous in their opposition, whenever legislative and executive measures have been introduced, seeking to end the racial disparities which continue to characterise our society.”

It would be foolhardy to assume that South Africa would emerge unscathed from centuries of racial oppression and racial bigotry. Under apartheid and colonialism, the philo- sophy, policy, and practice of white supremacy coloured and contaminated every aspect of life. The total onslaught of the apartheid regime and the omnipotence of its propaganda machinery saw many white journalists succumb to the pressure of having to serve the interests of apartheid’s political masters. Only a handful was prepared to take a stand against acts of inhumanity perpetrated against the African population that were unfolding in real time before their very eyes. By design, African journalists were kept occupied with menial rather than meaningful tasks even in cases when stories revolved around issues that involved their communities. Strong African voices who spoke out were quickly muted and decimated. Others were simply absorbed into the white fold, and slowly transformed into mimics of the white-vested journalistic pools.

During the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) process, 127 journalists from the Naspers group apologised for the role they had played in the apartheid years. These journalists included those from Beeld, Die Burger, Rapport, and Volksblad among others.

The journalists said although they had not been personally or directly involved in gross human rights abuses, they regarded themselves as morally co-responsible for what happened in the name of apartheid because they helped maintain a system in which these abuses could occur.

Unfortunately, the TRC did not, or could not go far enough to expose the...