The SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) supports a complaint against ANC Youth League spokesperson Floyd Shivambu, who has threatened to reveal journalists' private details and accused some of having sex for stories.
"Sanef strongly supports the journalists and their editors in their resolve not to be used in the youth league's propaganda war against journalists deemed to be a thorn in its flesh," said a statement issued on Thursday.
Sanef also rejected Shivambu labelling journalists as a "mob" and a "gang", and was concerned that the ANC had not yet responded to what it considered to be "one of the most brazen attacks on press freedom in the new South Africa".
President Jacob Zuma should reign in the league and take steps to establish whether state resources were being used to gather information on journalists.
The United Democratic Movement said it was disturbed by the league's poor relationship with the South African press and also demanded to know where the league was getting its information from.
"If they are to be believed it begs the question, where did they get the information they purport to have?" - Sapa