FXI is appalled to note that Defence Intelligence has been making overtures to members of the press supposedly for its "Overt Liaison Section". Although the agent involved has suggested that the relationship DI was seeking with journalists was all above-board and perfectly acceptable in our new democracy, we strongly refute this.

To suggest that "acquiring oral and written analysis of current events" is not acting for the intelligence agency and not compromising a journalists' integrity and independence, is naive in the extreme and disingenuous, particularly when journalists are promised confidentiality and the allocation of a number.

Notwithstanding the fact that independence and integrity should be characteristics of any journalist regardless of who is in power, we do need to recall the devious means which the Nationalist Party government used to co-opt the press and manage the flow of information to suit it. One of these ploys was the establishment of the Defence Liaison Committee within the Newspaper Press Union. By taking the press into its confidence and treating it to access to what it termed was "confidential information", government ensured that the press became its "gate-keepers". Current promises of "tip-offs" and "improved access to information" signal clearly that this is nothing but "management' of information and that that information itself would only be what DI wanted to see published. One consequence of this type of information management the journalist becomes a mere conduit for DI's message. A second consequence is that the journalist, through payment via the information provided to DI, acquires a special status with the agency. This gives the journalist an unfair advantage over his or her colleagues resulting in divisions in the newsrooms.

Furthermore, for a government agency to suggest that in return for co-operation journalists would "receive tip-offs" and "improved access to information", intimates that DI has does not believe it has a duty to communicate with the South African public. This is unacceptable given our constitutional provisions relating to transparency and accountability and the right to access to information in our bill of rights.

The Truth Commission Report makes fairly stringent recommendations regarding intelligence agents in the media including a recommendation for legislation against such involvement. It also recommends that on recruitment journalists be required to undertake not to become agents for the state. Although it may not be necessary to go as far as this, we would suggest that journalists themselves reject overtures from agencies such as DI and take seriously the various codes of ethics which make their independence and commitment to truth an essential part of their work. In this spirit we call upon journalists, particularly in the Pretoria papers where DI says it has had success in its recruitment, to state categorically where they stand on the matter.

We also call upon government, in the light of our past, to acknowledge the independence of the media and the need for journalists to remain distant from the intelligence agencies.

In conclusion FXI would like to support the South African National Editors Forum's statement on the issue.

Issued 2 August 2000 Contacts: Salim Vally (Chairperson) 082 802 5936; Laura Pollecutt(Executive Director) 083 604 1073