The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) voiced concerns about the Protection of State Information Bill on Friday.
“We are here to stand in solidarity with our media colleagues... We share (their) deep concerns,” CPJ chair Sandra Mims-Rowe said in Johannesburg.
At meeting with ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu on Thursday, the CPJ had urged the government not to pursue with the bill in its current form, she said.
“There is no place for such a broadly-worded 1/8bill 3/8 in a democracy. South Africa is seen as a beacon of freedom throughout the world.”
The CPJ is an independent non-profit organisation based in New York. It seeks to promote media freedom worldwide.
The bill was passed on November 22 in the National Assembly by 229 votes to 107 with two abstentions.
The absence of a public interest defence clause in the bill is a major point of contention as those who report corruption can face criminal charges.
Broad definitions of terms in the bill Ä such as what constitutes a matter of national interest Ä have also been criticised as being potentially detrimental to transparency and government accountability.
Mims-Rowe said the bill in its current form would criminalise whistle-blowing and put a chill on investigative reporting.
If passed, the CPJ hoped the Constitutional Court would overturn it, she said.
“We can act as a megaphone for your concerns.”
The CPJ was equally concerned about an African National Congress proposal for a media appeals tribunal.
The CPJ ended a week-long visit to South Africa on Friday.
Mims-Rowe said it had come to the country on a fact-finding mission at a critical time.
On Tuesday, the ANC met the SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef), and Media Monitoring Africa to discuss the bill.
ANC parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mothapo said the meeting had allowed parties to listen to each other “beyond the noise that has been created in the media where we were speaking past each other”.
Last week, the Congress of SA Trade Unions, Sanef and the Right2Know Campaign announced a seven-point plan of resistance to the legislation.
Proponents of the bill argue that it is essential to establish a legal framework for the handling of sensitive state information.
The National Council of Provinces has yet to debate the legislation. This must happen before it can be signed into law by President Jacob Zuma. - Sapa