In the coming days there will be a great deal of noise. The outcome of fraught and difficult discussions about how to form a government are existential for our economy and prosperity. Either the centre holds, or we embrace a world of financial and fiscal chaos. That latter would — with the help of the populist thugs now well entrenched in our politics — rapidly erode our fragile social fabric. The risks ahead are the greatest we’ve faced in years.
As a result of the hugely consequential nature of what is happening, interest in politics is overwhelming. Citizens, markets, investors and businesspeople are watching anxiously, reading every news report, attending every meeting and watching every interview for signals of what might be coming — as the currency’s rollercoaster since May 29 illustrates.
This pressure bears down on journalists. Now is not a time to make mistakes, and it is more critical than ever that we maintain our standards. We are especially vulnerable to parties using the media to test their ideas and messages, leaking position documents and dropping half-truths into journalists’ ears.
This has already begun. I have seen two such “leaked” documents already, and yesterday we decided not to publish documents we had been given that suggested the ANC was leaning towards a “confidence and supply” agreement with the DA and IFP as a way of forming a minority government.
These leaked documents may represent the true position of the ANC, but probably don’t. I know for sure that there are very senior ANC people for whom this document was a surprise. We are going to be extremely careful.
We’re going to keep the bar high. Single sources won’t cut it and leaked documents will need to be verified and then contextualised.
That means we might not be first, but we will be right — and that’s why you subscribe to BusinessLIVE and Business Day.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.