Manyi: Why is media so hostile to govt?

2011-06-21 09:54

Cape Town - Government communications’ chief Jimmy Manyi on Tuesday caused another stir after an interview on Radio 702 in which he complained that the media is “hostile towards government”.

“Why is media so hostile towards government? Especially print media,” Manyi asked presenter John Robbie.

This follows a meeting last week between the SA National Editors’ Forum and Manyi to discuss government plans to pay media groups for advertising. According to City Press editor, Ferial Haffajee, the government spokesperson called the meeting “robust” while Sanef said it was “rude”.

Manyi on Tuesday said he is shocked by the lack of honour shown in the debate around the state's relationship with the media.

Manyi said media houses are showing cartel-like tendencies and creating their own “fiction” around state plans for advertising.

 “Jimmy [Manyi] failed to mention that, that particular meeting last Wednesday evening at OR Tambo deadlocked. There was a unanimous decision among the editors that the meeting deadlocked,” EWN quoted Sanef member and Primedia Broadcasting Group Head of News and Programming Yusuf Abramjee as saying.

But Manyi said Abramjee and others are not respecting government.

“This is a lack of honour. We go into a meeting and we agree on a particular way forward and we agree on a statement and then he comes back and does this, this is a lack of honour,” said Manyi.

Manyi's comments have been met with outrage on twitter, with senior journalists and editors harshly criticising him.

- News24