By Masibongwe Sihlahla In the realm of the South African body politic, all eyes are on News24 and its petty, malicious and vindictive coverage of Paul Mashatile , a key figure in the African National Congress (ANC) party right now in this moment in time with coalition talks actively taking place. News24's relentless pursuit to hinder Mashatile's political aspirations to become the next president of the Republic has ignited debates about devious media ethics and the press's role in shaping public opinion or should I say poisoning the public opinion. Paul Mashatile, a seasoned politician within the ANC, has long been seen as a potential and natural candidate for the presidency of South Africa given the tradition in the ANC.
With a rich political career and a history of holding significant leadership roles, Mashatile has garnered both support and scrutiny from different factions within the party but also because of his prominent and exceptional role in the United Democratic Front he has the endearment of large masses of the South African public akin to the adoration that JZ can command from the public in KZN. News24's approach to covering Paul Mashatile has been marked by petty sensationalism and malicious bias, focusing on negative portrayals of this well respected South African political leader. Many independent media pundits have criticised the publication for spreading unverified and well known false rumours and unsubstantiated insinuations in its execrable reporting, raisin.