The author surveys the background to the media in South Africa and analyses the current media trends in post-apartheid South Africa. From the survey and analysis, he argues that although the classical liberal view of journalism and the role of the media seems to be attractive, one should understand that it does not adapt to the conditions of South Africa. He argues that the liberal view is appropriate for countries where governments are fairly stable, the economies are thriving and the people are generally well-off. On the contrary, the conditions in South Africa, as in many Third World countries, demand that the media should rather function as part of the social agenda and play their role generally in reporting, but mostly in development and nation-building.