NightTalk withGushwell Brooks

Should journalists, broadcasters, commentators and analysts disclose their political allegiances or should they strive for neutrality?

Presenter Eusebius McKaiser hosted a discussion with commentator JJ Tabane and political analyst Vukani Mde in light of the upcoming general elections.

Read: It's time media treat EFF with more sceptical distance, says journalism prof

Tabane says media practitioners are undeniably imbued with politics but some media jobs (such as reporting) require individual's to separate their political preferences from their work.

In the media space, there are people who are there to report news and people who are there to generate opinion or provoke debate.

— JJ Tabane, broadcaster, columnist and commentator

Also read: Sanef: We can't live in a country where journalists are threatened into silence

Mde dismisses the idea of neutrality in journalism and believes that news coverage/selection and reporting is in itself a political exercise.

People who pretend like they don't have political convictions or a politicised identity do so for dishonest reasons.

— Vukani Mde, political analyst

Even when we report, and report the facts, that in itself is a political act and an ideologically driven job.

— Vukani Mde, political analyst

It's not possible to report neutrally or in a way that is ideologically or politically clean.

— Vukani Mde, political analyst

Both guests revealed that they would vote for the ANC in this year's elections and explored the role of the media fraternity in navigating political discourse.

Listen to the engaging debate on The Eusebius McKaiser Show:

This article first appeared on CapeTalk : It's not possible for media to report neutrally, says political analyst