No comment, but please, that's off the record

The document examines the systemic failure of government communication in Africa, noting that media liaison officers often lack the authority or understanding of news cycles to be effective. It highlights a culture of suspicion toward the press, particularly among parties that emerged from liberation movements, and describes how regional bodies like the African Union and SADC suffer from under-resourced communication departments and dysfunctional digital presences.

• Government media liaison officers in Africa generally lack an understanding of media operations, often missing deadlines and failing to recognize that providing access to journalists can lead to more positive coverage.
• Political parties that evolved from liberation movements struggle with transparency and openness due to a historical culture of secrecy and fear of infiltration during their time as underground organizations.
• Regional organizations, including the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), exhibit poor communication practices, characterized by unavailable spokespersons and dysfunctional websites.
• There is a pervasive sense of paranoia and suspicion toward the media among African officials, who often view the press—particularly foreign media—as oppositional or as a threat.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2008). No comment, but please, that's off the record. https://saiia.org.za/research/no-comment-but-please-thats-off-the-record/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. No comment, but please, that's off the record. 2008. https://saiia.org.za/research/no-comment-but-please-thats-off-the-record/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=No comment, but please, that's off the record |date=28 April 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/no-comment-but-please-thats-off-the-record/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2008comment, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{No comment, but please, that's off the record}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/no-comment-but-please-thats-off-the-record/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }