Department of Mineral Resources and Energy

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has issued a questionable tender for a media monitoring service that seems oppressively Orwellian and ...

And the general tone of much of it suggests they already have a preferred bidder.” William Bird, Director of Media Monitoring Africa, offered Daily Maverick that opinion on the document. “A service provider who will also provide most comprehensive media analysis service to the department and the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy.” “A breakdown of the top 10 journalists with Net Effect scores to be indicated to each journalist. This is clearly a questionable use of scarce state funds – the economy is likely in recession, S&P has just downgraded its outlook on South Africa’s credit rating, and the Treasury is not exactly flush with cash. Google Alerts, for example, is a free service. This all raises a number of questions, of course. It will include an early-warning system to provide alerts of ‘incoming media-launched attacks on the department’ and monitoring of the ‘tone’ journalists take. There is a briefing about it on 22 March and the tender’s closing date is 6 June, but there are signs that the fix is already in. DM/BM Mantashe is not shy of such language, recently urging African countries and their Such alerts should include, but not be limited to: negative commentary, sector-related issues, defined spokesperson comments etc,” it says. So the “tone” publications and journalists use in their coverage of the department is to be monitored and measured.