The way forward: the press in South Africa

Abstract

The author contends in this article that White South Africans tend to profess an undying love for a country they hardly know, whose people often frighten them, and whose stark beauty they constantly try to change in imitation of Europe. Underlying the failures of the public policy - the ineffectuality of opposition no less than the actions of Government - is a pervasive ignorance of the forces and the people that move great events. In this regard the press has an important role to play. Certain fundamental problems encountered by the press are discussed, namely control and credibility. It is argued that these problems are more difficult to manage in divided societies such as South Africa owing to a lack of common myths and assumptions. The author concludes that there is a need for better and more sophisticated training for journalists in South Africa. There is also need for a newspaper of record to set a standard by which other newspapers can be measured.