Editorial: Media hypocrisy as the Intrigues of Ottawa rock South Africa

Whenever a black politician has been implicated in bribery and corruption in South Africa, the media have been quick to criticize. Not so when a Canadian politician like Brian Mulroney is implicated in a scandal involving kickbacks from Airbus and the arms industry. The story of abuse of authority by politicians is nothing new, but their relocation into the newsroom and media boardrooms has become an undeniable fact of life in the 21st century. Mulroney is a failed politician, and does not deserve a second chance in South Africa, while his comments regarding South Africa’s press freedom are welcome, surely his presence does more harm than good to the debate? The manner in which the Independent Group have failed its readers by neglecting to cover the Mulroney Scandal is a travesty all on its own and displays the hypocrisy of today’s corporate media. Could it be the fact that Mulroney sits on Independent’s Board, and is essentially its Chief Advisor that is preventing the South African press from covering the story? This blog urges the Independent Group to come clean before all faith in the press as a whole is finally lost.