NATIONAL NEWS - Media outlets should cut ties with African News Agency (ANA) as their admission to receiving millions from the spy agency has been the worst case to add to the challenges of journalistic credibility, say experts.
Former safety and security minister Sydney Mufamadi told the state capture inquiry last week that ANA had received R20 million from the State Security Agency (SSA) to counter negative coverage on it, former president
Jacob Zuma and the country.
The agency admitted to the transaction, with chief executive Vasantha Angamuthu saying the money received in 2016/17 was for a contract to “provide multi-media training for SSA analysts and interns” and to use its platforms
to “carry positive stories about SA and the SA government”.
But the scandal would alienate the media outlet as its credibility was now severely compromised, said Media Monitoring Africa director William Bird.
“ANA should come clean about that transaction and furnish details of who was involved,” he said.
Veteran journalist Anton Harber said the incident would be yet another serious challenge to journalist credibility in the country.
