Press coverage of a national security issue

[摘要] South Africa, like other liberal democracies worldwide, is characterised byconstant tension between government and the media, particularly the press.At the centre of the tension is the need by government to maintain a certainlevel of state secrecy on the grounds of national security on the one hand,and the need for transparency and the right of access to information on theother. Both these rights are provided for in international and local statutoryinstruments. Press reports about an alleged secret procurement by SouthAfrica’s Department of Defence of a spy satellite have also heightened thetension.The purpose of the research is to explore the nature of the tension through acase study focusing on some national newspapers. The study examines ifthe South African press, which, when it dispensed information to the public,published sensitive state information that detrimentally impacted nationalsecurity.This research shows that in some instances local newspapers publishedclassified and sensitive information relating to national security. Although acourt of law is the proper organ to determine whether the press contravenedthe law by publishing sensitive security information, the disclosure arguablyprejudiced the national security interests of South Africa.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand