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The Integrity of the Press Is a Matter of National Interest

19 November 2025

By Christine Wu, Interim Co-Chief Executive: Personal and Private Banking

There is a seldom-seen photograph of Nelson Mandela in the months leading up to South Africa’s first democratic election.  He was addressing the International Press Institute World Congress in Cape Town, and in his speech, he quoted from The Wrath of the Ancestors, a 1940 novel by linguist and writer A.C. Jordan, in which truth is likened to a powerful wrestler.

Reflecting on those writings, Mandela said: “No matter how hard its adversary, falsehood, may try to overwhelm it, truth refuses to yield. And even at the very moment when falsehood appears to have the upper hand, truth gathers new strength from the contest and casts off its adversary.”

Mandela’s reflection holds arguably more weight today.

We live in a world that is growing more polarised, where mass media is drawn into the contest of division and manipulated through carefully orchestrated misinformation. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the 189 documented disinformation campaigns active across the continent are nearly four times the number recorded in 2022, a figure the Centre still regards as an undercount.

Many experts have linked this surge to the proliferation of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

From AI-generated news outlets operating with little or no human oversight to fabricated imagery produced by generative tools, the rollout of artificial intelligence has become a boon for content farms and misinformation networks alike. NewsGuard, an organisation that tracks false or misleading information, has identified 2,089 undisclosed AI-generated news and information websites as of October 2025.

As the information environment becomes increasingly automated, the human role of journalism grows even more vital. And when everyone has a platform to share a view, the distinction between journalists and influencers takes on new importance. Influencers may shape opinions, but journalists are trained to interrogate facts, verify sources, and uphold ethical standards. They set themselves apart through their commitment to truth, rigorous editorial processes, and accountability to the public. This is the essence of journalistic integrity: the ability to be a trusted source in a sea of noise.

What is under threat is not only the reporting of truth, but the trust it sustains: in markets, in institutions, and in the decisions that hold societies together. That erosion carries consequences across every domain of public life, none more so than in financial services.

Journalism provides the public verification layer that markets themselves cannot create. It tests claims, contextualises data, exposes misconduct, and gives everyone, from regulators to investors to citizens, a shared point of reference for what is true. There is also a layer of accountability in this dynamic.

And as traditional media revenue models decline, the question arises: can journalism remain both principled and profitable? How do we balance the need to attract eyeballs with the imperative to remain objective in a polarised world?

Banks face a similar challenge: they must compete with fintechs while traditional revenue streams are being disrupted. Both industries, media and financial services, must reinvent themselves to remain relevant and profitable. For journalism, this might mean exploring new monetisation models that reward credibility and depth over sensationalism, and for banks, it means innovating while staying true to the core values of trust and transparency.

In both cases, integrity is sustained not only by individuals but by the systems that uphold it.

We all share a responsibility to reinforce the institutions that safeguard a free and fair press, from entities like the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) to independent media development organisations and accountability mechanisms.

At a time when falsehoods can be algorithmically engineered and reputations undermined at scale, more deliberate investment is needed: in the technologies that help newsrooms detect and dismiss manipulated content, in the training that equips journalists to do the same, and in the legal and institutional protections that shield reporters from retaliation.

During that speech, now more than 30 years ago, Mandela said: “a critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens.”

Those words remain a call to ensure that the space for free expression is never diminished, that the independence of the media is protected, and that truth is upheld – because the integrity of the press is a matter of national interest.

19 November 2025

By Christine Wu, Interim Co-Chief Executive: Personal and Private Banking

There is a seldom-seen photograph of Nelson Mandela in the months leading up to South Africa’s first democratic election.  He was addressing the International Press Institute World Congress in Cape Town, and in his speech, he quoted from The Wrath of the Ancestors, a 1940 novel by linguist and writer A.C. Jordan, in which truth is likened to a powerful wrestler.

Reflecting on those writings, Mandela said: “No matter how hard its adversary, falsehood, may try to overwhelm it, truth refuses to yield. And even at the very moment when falsehood appears to have the upper hand, truth gathers new strength from the contest and casts off its adversary.”

Mandela’s reflection holds arguably more weight today.

We live in a world that is growing more polarised, where mass media is drawn into the contest of division and manipulated through carefully orchestrated misinformation. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the 189 documented disinformation campaigns active across the continent are nearly four times the number recorded in 2022, a figure the Centre still regards as an undercount.

Many experts have linked this surge to the proliferation of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

From AI-generated news outlets operating with little or no human oversight to fabricated imagery produced by generative tools, the rollout of artificial intelligence has become a boon for content farms and misinformation networks alike. NewsGuard, an organisation that tracks false or misleading information, has identified 2,089 undisclosed AI-generated news and information websites as of October 2025.

As the information environment becomes increasingly automated, the human role of journalism grows even more vital. And when everyone has a platform to share a view, the distinction between journalists and influencers takes on new importance. Influencers may shape opinions, but journalists are trained to interrogate facts, verify sources, and uphold ethical standards. They set themselves apart through their commitment to truth, rigorous editorial processes, and accountability to the public. This is the essence of journalistic integrity: the ability to be a trusted source in a sea of noise.

What is under threat is not only the reporting of truth, but the trust it sustains: in markets, in institutions, and in the decisions that hold societies together. That erosion carries consequences across every domain of public life, none more so than in financial services.

Journalism provides the public verification layer that markets themselves cannot create. It tests claims, contextualises data, exposes misconduct, and gives everyone, from regulators to investors to citizens, a shared point of reference for what is true. There is also a layer of accountability in this dynamic.

And as traditional media revenue models decline, the question arises: can journalism remain both principled and profitable? How do we balance the need to attract eyeballs with the imperative to remain objective in a polarised world?

Banks face a similar challenge: they must compete with fintechs while traditional revenue streams are being disrupted. Both industries, media and financial services, must reinvent themselves to remain relevant and profitable. For journalism, this might mean exploring new monetisation models that reward credibility and depth over sensationalism, and for banks, it means innovating while staying true to the core values of trust and transparency.

In both cases, integrity is sustained not only by individuals but by the systems that uphold it.

We all share a responsibility to reinforce the institutions that safeguard a free and fair press, from entities like the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) to independent media development organisations and accountability mechanisms.

At a time when falsehoods can be algorithmically engineered and reputations undermined at scale, more deliberate investment is needed: in the technologies that help newsrooms detect and dismiss manipulated content, in the training that equips journalists to do the same, and in the legal and institutional protections that shield reporters from retaliation.

During that speech, now more than 30 years ago, Mandela said: “a critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens.”

Those words remain a call to ensure that the space for free expression is never diminished, that the independence of the media is protected, and that truth is upheld – because the integrity of the press is a matter of national interest.