Pretoria - The Presidency has called for fairness, objectivity and open-mindedness from the media in their coverage of government and President Jacob Zuma.
In a statement issued on national Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, the Presidency noted with concern how the coverage of the President, in particular, had become "trapped in two story lines".
"When the President considers all aspects of matters placed before him to take an informed decision, the media accuses him of being indecisive. When he acts, he is accused of taking decisions vindictively, informed by the ANC elective conference that is scheduled to take place in Mangaung, Bloemfontein, next year," it said.
This "stereotyping and pigeonholing" did not constitute the fairness and objectivity that was expected of the media and also misinformed the public, the Presidency added.
"The President takes decisions independently, informed by objective facts that are placed before him. The pigeonholing of the President that has become prevalent misleads the public and also kills critical thinking in the media and public space. The media's responsibility is to inform the public first and foremost on what the decision is all about and all aspects of it."
The Presidency said while media was free to comment on decisions, it should not give the impression that those opinions were facts.
Opinions needed to be clearly marked as such, so that the public could make its own judgments based on the information provided, it added.
"On this national Press Freedom Day, we humbly urge the media and analysts to exercise their minds openly and widely, and analyse each action or decision on its own merits, and avoid pigeonholing and stereotyping. In this way, the South African public will be better informed about the actions, decisions and policies of government."
The Presidency wished journalists a happy Press Freedom Day, adding that it looked forward to on-going cordial and constructive working relations.
