We, African journalists gathered at this CASA Colloquium, consider that the picture of South Africa presented to the world by the South African and international media is not the true picture. It is a picture distorted intentionally by the South African state and sometimes unintentionally by the media itself.

The state’s interest in distorting the picture is obvious. We believe the international media distorts the picture of South Africa by giving undue weight to the interpretations and perspectives of the state — the very people responsible for perpetuating minority racist rule. The opinions of the Pretoria government are not entitled to the weight conventionally and correctly given by journalists to the opinion attitudes of democratic governments — opinions and attitudes which it of majority support behind them.

South Africa is a complex society, but not a unique one and we ask that journalists covering the South African story' embody within their work the values and norms they expect in journalism in their home countries. South Africa and its people be judged and interpreted by journalists in terms of accepted democratic principles.

The South African story is not a set of sensational events concerning what Pretoria calls ’black violence' and 'reform'. Nor is it a series of body counts. It is a story of a repugnant society and attempts to transform that society. It is an ongoing story requiring consistent coverage and analysis.

This is not a call for journalists throughout the world to practise biased, skewed or advocacy journalism. It is precisely the opposite. It is an appeal for unbiased and undistorted coverage guided by those democratic principles adhered to in their own countries.

These principles include:

— The right freely to inform and to be informed

— The right to live peacefully in a non-racial democratic society based on universal franchise.

As journalists we believe we are entitled to live and work in a society based on those principles. And we believe that only in a society based on those principles is a truly free South African press possible.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank those responsible for organizing this colloquium enabling us to meet and discuss these issues freely. Our discussions were limited by the absence of some of our colleagues prevented by Pretoria, in various ways, from attending.

Amsterdam, December 11 1987.