The president said good journalism requires balance, the right mix, good sense and responsibility and a broad commitment to the public interest. In those days, really good news for South Africa was bad news for the government of apartheid. Those in tune with the real South Africa were accused by government, therefore, of publishing too much bad news, and not being constructive or positive. Mbeki said South Africa has emerged from that era with a strong tradition of journalists being against the government of the day. I believe that the media should break out of this outdated mould.
Good news is now good news.
There is no confusion or contradiction. There is no heroism in seeking, for instance, to defy the laws of a representative government acting in accordance with the requirements of democracy. There is, moreover, no explicit or implied threat by a democratic government when it simply criticises the media. He said it is well known that prominent figures in the world of governance and business are staggered at the negativity of reporting from inside South Africa. My plea to the media is use your freedom, roundly criticise the government as is your right, which we are committed to defend, but do not simply hit out without cause or reflection.