Publication: The Star Issued: Date: 2008-02-29 Reporter: Jessie Duarte

Star Fuels Zuma's Trial by Media

 

Publication 

The Star
Date

2008-02-29
Reporter Jessie Duarte

Web Link

www.thestar.co.za

 

A headline that accompanied an article on the front page of The Star on Wednesday violates the principle of presumption of innocence and flouts media convention in the presentation of statements attributed to individuals.

The headline, "Shaik did bribe Zuma *1", is an example of the trial by media to which ANC President Jacob Zuma has been subjected for a number of years.

Rather than using quotation marks to indicate that this was a reported assertion by an individual in a Constitutional Court case, The Star headline presented this claim as fact *2.

This amounts to finding Zuma guilty even before he has appeared in court and before a court has made any finding on the charges against him. This is a violation of his right to be presumed innocent until and unless found otherwise.

It is worth noting that Shaik' lawyers have placed on record that their client never claimed to have paid a bribe to Zuma.

In the interests of fairness and to demonstrate a commitment to ethical journalism, The Star should issue a retraction and apologise for any harm caused by this misrepresentation.

Jessie Duarte

Head of Communications
African National Congress

With acknowledgements to Jessie Duarte and The Star.


*1*2    But Shaik did bribe Zuma.

This is a legal fact.

The lady protesteth too much and in vain.

The question is :
Did the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal find that there was evidence that Shaik did bribe Zuma?
The answer is :
Oh, decidedly.
So the the upshot of all this is that :


This is known as a tautology.

This cannot escape the thickest or even the most corrupt judge.