During the course of the public hearings, we had reason to note that many of the submissions made to us expressed fear. It was feared that the outcome of the investigation would lead to curbs on press freedom. FXI sought to persuade us that there were in fact sufficient mechanisms in place currently to render such an eventuality unnecessary. We do not believe that our democracy can thrive in a climate of fear and suspicion. We believe that all who have interest in human rights would recognize that a totally unregulated system, with weak self-regulation, would ultimately undermine the integrity of the media.
Public scrutiny is good for the health of the media in a democracy.
It is recommended that there be ongoing public debate about the role and responsibility of the media in a democracy. Such a debate commenced during the course of the hearings, should continue. The media, training institutions and the South African Human Rights Commission should play a leading role in continuing the debate. There were differing views on the role and target of individual publications. Some saw themselves as attempting to be relevant for all South Africans, while others saw a need to reach out and pitch to a defined target audience.