Can we get some real news with our coffee?

More non-stories in the media this week then. Quite disturbing really. How does it ever come to pass that a whole editorial team passes through a “major story” that is well, nothing new and adds well … nothing new?

The first related to a supposed expose’ of dodgy arms deals passing through SA’s regulatory cracks. Now help me understand something here, where is the story? Arms trading involving shady behaviour. Well blow me down with a feather, whatever next? Arms company sells arms?

I’m not the biggest fan of the arms industry myself, mostly because I do not profit from it in any way, but there are a few things I understand to be inherent about that line of business. Arms get sold under the counter as a matter of course. You don’t even need to be a scholar of that great arms industry doccie Iron Man to know that. It’s not right (that wonderfully flexible, subjective term) by any means but if you get involved in that line of business that’s how you keep your head above water. It’s like playing football and getting tackled.

Now I have never known of any party to question why we are involved in the manufacture and trading of arms. Certainly all the parties have taken it in turns to have a pop at who benefits from this, but none have ever proposed that we cease it all together. So if we are okay with having such entities, why not allow them to survive in the market place? Beats them leeching off the public purse. I think we are fighting the wrong issue here.

The next relates to our new police commissioner’s supposed meddling in an MVA saga involving an associate of his. Now before this week began here’s what I and a couple million other South Africans knew about the matter: a motor vehicle belonging to Prince Sifiso Zulu was involved in a road accident that led to a number of fatalities, uNdosi (Cele’s clan name) was rather quick to the scene of the accident, he also phoned Zulu to inform him of the situation. Those facts the parties in question have all acknowledged. Here’s proof.

What we also know of are the allegations that Cele interfered with the investigation on Zulu’s behalf. This we knew before this week. Why then did one of the country’s leading online news portals feel the need to lead with a story about Cele being at the scene and regurgitate the same spiel and allegations we already knew without adding anything new. Is that the new definition of news? Are they breaking the outrageous news of the Pope’s Catholicism next? That should give their readership a crazy boost.

Third is the whole Ruan/Morne flyhalf poser for the Bokke. Last year Adi Jacobs came in for an injured Jaque Fourie and made the Bok jersey his own with a series of performances that led to him being voted players’ player of the year. Beast Mtawarira went from being a local legend in Durban to a national hero and usurped Guthro Steenkamp’s claims to the Bok loosehead berth after the Os’s retirement. His performances since then have ensured that he gets to keep the jersey. Ditto Fourie coming in for an injured and somewhat out-of-form Jacobs and reclaiming his jersey.

Last week Morne Steyn scored 31 points for the Bokke against New Zealand while Ruan was out injured. The Bok coach prefers Ruan to Morne, as he does Adi to Jaque, but he has shown with his words and action in the past that players are rewarded for good displays, so why now the brouhaha about Ruan possibly slotting back in at flyhalf straight from injury? This in an important last home match? Which “source close to the team” conjured that one up? I’m guessing the next big rugby rumour will revolve around Peter de Villiers struggling to get his point across in English.

I love few things more than devouring the news over a morning cuppa, it’s one of my favourite things to do while bemoaning the 9-5 in the morning. But the key here is it must be news. Informative accounts and analysis of real-world events. Like the strikes, township protests, 2010 progress etc. That’s news. Give me views on where the economy is headed and, the quiet crisis supposedly looming over our health-care system. Hell, here’s one I’d love to see — how’s the world opium market been affected by the continuing occupation of Afghanistan? Fill me in on that will ya Willis? That’s news, regurgitated and thumbsucked crock on the other hand …

This is not an attack on the news outlets above. They have hundreds of other stories that are relevant, necessary and well reported. But somebody dropped the ball big time on the above. Maybe the Golden Lions should offer them contracts.