Department of Journalism

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An analysis of health reporting in three South African women's magazines: Fairlady, Sarie and True Love
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-12) Mattheyse, Mary (Mary Elizabeth); Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Health reporting in South African women’s magazines has not previously been assessed. Therefore, a content analysis of health reporting in three South African monthly women’s magazines, Sarie (S), Fairlady (F), and True Love (T), was carried out from February 2005–January 2006. Total coverage of health issues was analysed, as well as coverage of 11 specific aspects of health, namely: sexual and reproductive (‘Sexual’), men’s, women’s, cardiac (‘Heart’), spiritual ‘Spirit’), mental and emotional (‘Mental’), diet and nutrition (‘Diet’), sport and exercise (‘Sportex’), health-related items not covered by the other categories (‘General’), pseudoscience with regard to health issues (‘Pseudo’) and parenting and child care (‘Parent’). True Love devoted most space to all health items combined (17,7% of total subject material), compared with 13,8% for Sarie and 11,7 % for Fairlady. The top three categories (20,1%, 19,7% and 16,3% of total health coverage) were the ‘Mental’, ‘General’ and ‘Sexual’ categories, respectively. Comparisons of categories among the magazines showed the following trends for the most coverage: ‘Sexual’ (T); women’s (F), ‘Spirit’ (T), ‘Mental’ (S); and ‘Diet’ (F). T was the only magazine to carry articles in the ‘Parent’ category. However, statistical analyses showed that the only significant differences were in women’s (F>T); ‘Spirit’ (F>S; T>S); ‘Mental' (S>F) and ’Diet’ (F>S). The reporting in the magazines was not found to be balanced as regards the emphasis given to certain aspects of health. The most striking imbalance was that no information was given regarding prevention of HIV/Aids, now the leading cause of death in South Africa.
Beyond the barriers : HIV prevention and treatment in South African public sector - a Western Cape Science Communication Study
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005-04) Yeager, Valerie (Valerie Ann); Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This work provides a comprehensive overview of the South African HIV/AIDS epidemic. It examines the historical and social background of the HIV/AIDS situation and looks at the importance of the media and science communication in combating the effects of the epidemic on society. This research explores the different forms of health communication and the varied benefits of each. Overall, it highlights positive media efforts that have helped redirect the HIV/AIDS epidemic within the social and political context of the HIV epidemic in South Africa. The second half of this work covers the challenges experienced in gaining publicsector antiretroviral treatment and the roles the media have played in informing and mobilizing society for these efforts. Through a community clinic ethnographic case study this work explores the current state of treatment clinics, social challenges experienced in the Usapho Lwethu Clinic of Gugulethu and the future of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa.
Cloning in the news : an analysis of how the science and ethics of cloning are reported in three daily newspapers of Cape Town
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004-04) Van der Linden, Cornelis Albert; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Cloning is a topic that has long fascinated people. It has imbedded itself into popular culture, but studies show that the general public has, at best, only a vague understanding of what cloning entails. Alternatively, their perception has been skewed by that very same popular culture. However, cloning is a complex scientific subject that has considerable ethical implications. It is the kind of topic that people in a deliberate democracy should know about. The media play an important role in the education of the public with regards to science and technology. However, the media have the potential to do more than provide the basic facts. In fact, the media can play an important role in influencing the actions and opinions of the public. It is therefore a responsibility of the media to provide accurate information on scientific developments, such as cloning. Objective: An analysis of three daily newspapers in the Western Cape was carried out to determine how cloning is reported. The broad topics addressed were whether the coverage focused on the ethical or scientific aspects of cloning, if the subject was reported in a positive or negative tone, and whether the science of cloning was adequately explained. Methodology: A quantitative content analysis was completed of a sample of 69 articles. These articles were all those relating to cloning that appeared in three daily newspapers (Cape Argus, Cape Times and Die Burger) over a period of one year from 10 November 2002 to 10 November 2003. Findings: Of all the articles analysed 34% focused on the scientific aspects, 21% focused on the ethical aspects, 6% focused on both ethics and science, while 39% focused on neither. Fifty two percent of articles dealing specifically with animal cloning focused on the science, while only 4% focused on the ethics. However, in articles dealing specifically with human cloning, more (30%) emphasised ethical aspects than scientific aspects (20%). With regards to tone of coverage, 32% of all the articles analysed were positive, 28% negative, and 40% neutral. Sixty percent of articles dealing specifically with animal cloning featured a positive tone, while only 13% of articles exclusively about human cloning had a positive tone. This 13% was comprised of articles on therapeutic rather than reproductive cloning. In terms of explaining the science associated with cloning, only 30% of articles provided an explicit explanation. Potential threats to the accuracy of explaining science were found to exist. Conclusions: While the overall findings were somewhat indistinct it seemed that when the media of the Western Cape reported on the cloning of animals it was done with a positive tone and emphasised the scientific aspects. Reporting on human cloning tended to feature a negative tone and emphasised the ethical aspects. The large number of ‘neutral’ results for both the ‘tone’ and 'science or ethics’ variables could indicate that the media were wishing to remain neutral. However, the large number of neutral articles relating to the ‘science or ethics’ variable could have a negative impact on public understanding. The small number of articles explaining cloning and an emphasis on ‘breakthrough’ news stories could also have a negative impact on public understanding.
A comparative analysis of the coverage of science news in Cape Town newspapers
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2008-03) Turner, Gillian Kim; Claassen, George; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
The 21st century is less than a decade old, but it is already evident that South Africans will need to improve their scientific literacy (that is, their knowledge about science, the environment and health) if they are to become active citizens in a world which is dominated more and more by complicated scientific and technological advances. It is a world in which average people are increasingly required to understand and make appropriate local decisions regarding numerous scientific debates, including alternative energy sources, climate change and new medical techniques. For most South Africans, the press is their main source of science news. Thus, a huge responsibility rests on the shoulders of newspaper journalists to empower their readers with scientific knowledge and to share the excitement that comes from discovering more about how the universe works. It is within this context that the question arises as to how Cape Town’s newspapers cover science news. Having determined from a review of the literature that a large knowledge gap existed in this field, it was decided to conduct research about science coverage in three daily newspapers (the Cape Argus, the Cape Times and Die Burger) and three weekend newspapers (the Saturday Argus, the Sunday Argus and the Saturday edition of Die Burger) in Cape Town. The quantitative research method of content analysis was employed in order to provide statistical evidence for the study’s problem statement, namely that science news is covered very differently in the six newspapers. This exploratory comparative analysis formed the bulk of the research. The qualitative research methods of surveys and in-depth interviews with the newspapers’ specialist science writers were then used to address the thesis of the study, namely that the science writers are “gatekeepers” (as predicted by the theoretical model of gatekeeping) and that their education, knowledge, interests, beliefs about science, attitudes towards their reporting, and interactions with editors within the newspaper structures determine the science coverage in their newspapers. Thus, this study asks (primarily) what science is covered, and (secondarily) why. The content analysis yielded a wealth of information which confirmed that the six newspapers cover science news very differently, while the surveys and interviews with the science writers validated the prediction that they are the dominant (but not the only) influence on the coverage of science in their newspapers. This study’s goal is to provide a comprehensive comparative overview of the coverage of science news in Cape Town’s newspapers, which will not only create a foundation for future research, but will also provide useful information for the six newspapers, their science writers and editors. Key words: Cape Argus, Cape Times, Cape Town, Die Burger, environment, gatekeeping, health, journalism, media, newspaper, reporter, Saturday Argus, science, South Africa, Sunday Argus, technology.
Creating expectations : the bioethics of genetics as reflected in selected South African media with specific reference to CRISPR-Cas9
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Rademan, Anna Elizabeth; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the era of genetic engineering, the CRISPR-Cas9 system has been hailed as one of the most important genetic discoveries and is often discussed in terms of its momentous potential applications on health. However, from a bioethical perspective, the technology poses several challenges with regards to safety, regulation and human enhancement. The field of genetic engineering and bioethics have moved from academic journals to the mass media. The news media’s reporting on complex bioethical issues such as CRISPR-Cas9 can influence the public’s perception and understanding thereof. Literature confirms that the news media, as part of the public domain, also shape subsequent ethical policies and regulations. Therefore, this study aims to investigate expectations that the South African media create surrounding the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system. In the South African context, academic research in this area is still limited. Situated in the field of journalism studies, this study used a combination of qualitative and quantitative content analysis of CRISPR-Cas9 related articles from the top 10 most popular South African news media sites between January 2013 and June 2019. The study extended knowledge in the field of science and bioethics reporting in the South African news media. Certain problems were observed with regards to evidence-based science journalism as not enough attention was given to specific research applications or methodological aspects of CRISPR-Cas9 and therefore it is difficult for the audience to separate science hype from evidence-based research. The bioethical debate is evident in the articles analysed and showed the tension between the promotion of science but also the caution towards the risks of CRISPR-Cas9. These risks include technical, ethical, legal, and social aspects that need to be addressed before it will be ethically acceptable to use the technology on the human germline. The media play a pivotal part in facilitating the public debate and encouraging public discussion about the governance of the technology. The theory of framing played an important role, and the use of frames can be useful as an aid to explanation and creating cultural and social meaning. However, the choice of frames should be carefully considered because they may misrepresent and mislead public perception of the technology. The news media should perhaps not resurrect old frames such as the Frankenstein myth but instead develop new meaningful metaphors together with evidence-based science journalism.
A cross-section survey of health information-seeking practices among young adults on a South African university campus
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Van Niekerk, Estelle; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Health information-seeking is a complex and dynamic construct. This study attempted to quantify and explain the use of interpersonal communication, media and related technologies as health information sources among first year university students on the campus of Stellenbosch University (SU), using a cross-sectional survey design. The questionnaire and web-based survey intended to measure and document important research constructs at a single point in time. Data from this survey provide exploratory information on patterns of health information-seeking practices and preferences encountered among the research target group. Measures of the reasons for health information-seeking on specific topics; health information sources/channels and frequency of source/channel use; information source credibility and quality as well as the outcomes of the health information-seeking process were used as secondary research aims in this study. Health communication and health management needs of the research population were also important research variables to establish. Results from this research indicate that the health status of the study cohort was good. The mean of the BMI kg/m² for the current study cohort lies at the higher end of the BMI kg/m² continuum for this age group, which indicates that the lifestyle of the study cohort is at risk. The use of health information sources among the research cohort was diverse. This research confirms that interpersonal communication is an important information medium through which young adults receive health information. The concept of an ecological context to health communication and its effects are therefore supported by these results. Use of media sources and related technology was common and diverse among the study cohort, mirroring patterns of media use for other young adult groups. Results further support the theory of effect-studies in communication (the media), where the provision of certain types of information through the media, indicate to have an impact on people’s thinking and behaviour. A behaviour change as result of the health information-seeking process was reported among the research cohort. Health communication literature refers to small numbers of studies conducted on health information-seeking among young adults (student populations). The current research has attempted to add to the body of knowledge on health information-seeking and its outcomes among a student population group in a South African university setting.
The current state of science journalism in South Africa : perspectives of industry insiders
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Van Zuydam, Eleanor; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Science news reporting in the South African media does not enjoy the same status as other beats such as politics, sport and business. While extensive research has been conducted into the importance and quality of science journalism in South Africa, on the African continent and globally, current research regarding the personal experiences and perceptions of science journalists in South Africa is in short supply. This study examines the current state of science journalism in South Africa, according to industry insiders. The research was conducted using the interpretive paradigm and phenomenological approach in social theory as theoretical framework. The researcher employed qualitative or interpretive research methods and undertook a participant observation study. Data was collected through qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 science journalists, science communicators and science writers in South Africa. The researcher investigated participants’ opinions and perceptions regarding the current state of science journalism, challenges in the field of science journalism, the relationship between scientists and journalists, the role of science communication, the value of postgraduate studies in science journalism, the importance and value of the South African Science Journalists’ Association and the future of science journalism in South Africa. The research found that there were both positive and negative sentiments on the part of the participants regarding the state of science journalism in South Africa.
The framing of climate change in three daily newspapers in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2008-03) Cramer, Carolyn Maire; Claassen, George; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
Scientists predict that the Western Cape region of South Africa is likely to be one of the regions most affected by climate change. Though the effects on the Cape Floral Kingdom are a huge concern in terms of biodiversity, the effects of climate change are predicted to be far broader than the natural environment. Agriculture, industry, the health sector, politics and the socio-economic sectors among others are all likely to be significantly impacted by climate change in the coming years. The underlying theoretical assumption of the study is that understanding how the climate question has been understood and framed is of vital importance for how the general public will be able to respond to lifestyle changes in aid of climate protection.This study examines the media coverage of climate change over the period of one year in the Western Cape media context, specifically the Cape Times, the Cape Argus and Die Burger. Using a quantitative framing analysis as the central methodology, the study focused on six core frames in analysing all articles relating to climate change. In addition, journalists at the respective newspapers were interviewed to complement the textual analysis. Finally, climate change scientists were interviewed in order to gain their perspectives of the reporting. The study found that the environmental frame was the dominant frame chosen. The political and scientific frames were the next two most prominent frames. It is argued that the dominance of these frames and the comparative lack of reports featuring the human impact frame is problematic as the environment, science and politics are all fairly abstract to the general public.
Framing the Western Cape water crisis : an analysis of the reporting of five South African publications in 2017 and 2018
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Grammer, Hayley; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Western Cape water crisis has been called the worst drought in over one hundred years, with mainstream media coverage being widespread. The media has long-lasting effects on the way in which society understands different events. Framing consists of selecting certain aspects of reality and making them more salient in communicating text; this in turn promotes a particular problem and therefore specific reaction by those who come into contact with the information in question. By understanding how the drought was framed by a selection of South African publications, researchers can identify and critically examine the dominant media messages being communicated to the public, which in turn has the power to influence behaviours and attitudes towards water conservation. Although academic research in the area of framing is extensive, it lacks exploration from within the South African context. This study explores how a selection of five South African publications – namely the Cape Argus, Die Burger, the Cape Times, GroundUp and News24 – framed the Western Cape water crisis. The hypothesis of this study is that the publications favoured a political narrative above a scientific one in their coverage of the drought. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in the form of content analyses were employed in order to illustrate the saliency of the drought on the media agenda, as well as which messages readers were being exposed to with regards to the water crisis. The main findings of this study were that a scientific narrative was largely lacking from media coverage of the drought.
From lab to fork? Press coverage and public (mis)perception of crop biotechnology in Uganda
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12) Lukanda, Nathanael Ivan; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the structure of the controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Uganda. It focuses on how two local newspapers, the New Vision and the Daily Monitor, cover the subject, and on the public perception regarding a contested science (biotechnology), promoted and de-campaigned in the same pages simultaneously. The aim was to establish the different ways in which media coverage of biotechnology influences public perception of its products, especially crop (food) GMOs, in Uganda. It draws on the sciencein- society model, the public sphere and the media logic theoretical framework as a lens for understanding Uganda’s case in this global debate. The study used content analysis, a face-toface survey and in-depth interviews to obtain data and analyse Uganda’s intricate situation in terms of having GMOs on the market in the absence of an enabling law to commercialise what is in the country’s laboratories (labs). The key findings indicate that the coverage and perception of GMOs are shaped by the contours of capitalism, mistrust in government institutions and outright misinformation, all tied to personal and societal beliefs. The controversy is laced with discrimination, noticeable in the sharp-tongued accusations and counter-accusations. The debate has been described as a “distortion”, “deception”, “complexity”, “confrontation”, “murky” and an “opportunistic interaction”. In the two newspapers analysed for the purposes of this study, biotechnology was largely covered by freelancers, who were caught between evidence-based science reporting and providing a voice to all stakeholders on a subject newspaper editors consider peripheral in the light of audience and advertiser flight. Biotechnology is politicised to make it sellable. Legislation dominates the fault-finding elitist debate, driven mostly by events in other countries. Men are six times more likely to be used as sources in stories on biotechnology, but women’s chances of being quoted more than triple when they are quoted in the same story with men. Experts have limited impact as both scientists, and non-(pseudo) scientists are major sources of information on biotechnology, a mark of weakened cultural authority of science in the post-expert age. Biotechnology is a controversial subject in the newsroom and in society. Newspapers are part of the chain link for creating awareness, educating, sustaining debate and generating an ‘issues culture’. The scientist-journalists’ relationship determines how biotechnology is covered. Ethics, health, patents, contamination, sustainability and bioterrorism are risk concerns. Biotechnology remains a fulcrum for scientific, cultural, political and economic arguments. The debate on GMOs is also a clash of traditions between conservationists and their pro-GMO opponents. The youth are more likely to oppose GMOs in a debate from which farmers are hardly represented. There is stigmatisation of information sources, and yet a change in source of information and increase in knowledge are more likely to have a negative impact on individuals’ perceptions of the risks of GMOs. Public desire for face-to-face engagements with scientists is increasing, even though scientists’ technical opinions seem to be an inconveniencing luxury in the polarised debate. This study births an economic-media bicycle-chain model to tentatively explain the key issues in the debate. The study recommends the use of training in science communication to jump-start public engagement with biotechnology and other science subjects by inspiring academic involvement, increasing scientists’ branding, promoting scientific culture and stimulating public participation. The use of edutainment images/visuals in science communication could enhance discussions and weave science into the fabric of citizens’ day-to-day life as a form of accountability to the taxpayers who fund research. In addition, communicators should use traditional and digital media to harvest ideas to organise content, report about and engage with experts and their audience on new styles of storytelling that can be adopted to pave the way for dialogue on biotechnology and other science-related topics. Further, the study recommends the integration of a BrainLab in science institutions’ curriculum to equip future researchers with the creative communication skills to engage the media, policymakers and the public, as researchers get credit for mentoring their students in such outreaches; researchers can also get input in such forums through crowdsourcing and feedback for feedforward in future research. Such an approach is expected to promote team science communication and prevent science from getting lost through translation.
Die gebruik van klank om nuus op die Internet oor te dra
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-03) De Jager, Tinus; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this work I explore the use of sound as a means of presenting news to the user of the Internet. I accept that news sound as such, as it is presented on radio, is an effective mass communication medium. From there I ask the question if this sound, with the same underlying principles used in radio, can be effectively used on the Internet. This opposed to real changes made in the gathering, preparation and presentation of sound to be effective on the Information Superhighway. In the first chapter I look at the methods (good and bad) utilized to present sound on the radio. When I present a model for Internet use later in the work (chapter 5) I use these as a starting point. Some definitions are formulated, which also become important in chapter 5. In the second chapter I touch on the origins of the Internet and the use of web sites to provide a news service. I explore the methods employed by news specific sites to communicate information to Internet users and I compare that to uses on a non-news site, in this case National Geographic.com. Again I use the positive aspects of the study of these sites to form part of the model presented in chapter 5. Chapter 3 is dedicated to the technological development of the Internet and the use of multimedia to convey information. I also touch on the future of the information system and the expectations and requirements these developments would put on journalists working on the medium. In chapter 4 I compare the way in which three news sites handled the covering of the terrorist attack on America. Because of the territorial advantage, I choose to look at the coverage one year after the event. The positive use of text, video, sound and images on these three sites are used to format the model in the next chapter. As said previously, chapter 5 contains a model for the use of multimedia, specifically sound, to convey news information on the Internet. While the focus is on sound, I suggest here that the model is applicable to all the aids available to the Internet producer.
Healing the rift : an assessment of a World Health Organisation's media communication programme for health scientists
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006-04) Baleta, Adele; Claassen, George; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Health scientists agree that the media is a crucial conduit for communicating life-saving, preventative and curative health messages to a wider audience. They also concur that they are the gatekeepers, and the responsibility of communicating their findings and health information to the public rests with them. And yet, their relationship with journalists is often unhealthy and in need of attention. Many health scientists lack knowledge and understanding about who the media are, and what they require to do the job of reporting ethically and professionally. They often lack the skills needed to frame simple, succinct messages timeously, especially on controversial issues such as vaccines and drug safety, immunisation and drug treatment for infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS. This study argues that health scientists/professionals globally, irrespective of culture, ethnicity, creed, language or media systems, need training on how to communicate with the media in the interests of public health. This is especially so in the modern world with its complex, high-speed communication. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of a WHO media communication training programme for health scientists worldwide. More specifically, the study sought to shed light on whether the training shifted their perceptions and attitudes to the media. And, if so, in what way? It also aimed to find out if the trainees learned any skills on how to deal with reporters. The research methodology was qualitative. A review of the literature, to establish current thinking in the field, was followed by interviews with health professionals. The interviewees are from China, South Africa and Ghana and received the same basic training either in South Africa, China or Sri Lanka. Some were trained in 2005, others in 2004 and others before that. Most had been trained together with participants from other countries. Two focus groups were conducted in China before and after training. Included, is an account of the aims and objectives of each module of the actual training. The study also made use of WHO documents and news and feature articles from newspapers, radio and the internet. Most participants had never had media communication training but had been interviewed by reporters. While some had positive experiences, others felt bruised by their interactions with journalists. After training, however, they registered a shift in attitude toward feeling more positive and less fearful of the media. They felt more confident and better equipped to engage with journalists. Most participants desired more training to consolidate the skills that they had learned. Some had managed to put the training to good use by developing similar programmes in their own country. Others who were trained more recently were enthusiastic about the prospect of sharing ideas with colleagues. Those who were unlikely to deal with the media directly said they felt they could at last contribute to discussions on the media in the workplace. The WHO training, albeit a first step aimed at bridging the gap between health professionals and journalists, goes a long way in addressing the frustrations and the complexities of dealing with the media. Health professionals want to communicate because they need to reach their target population, the ordinary person in the street. Training and facilitation can empower health professionals to deal constructively with the media in getting health messages to the public. This training programme, which imparts practical skills including how to prepare and manage interviews, could be adapted to meet the needs of scientists from different disciplines.
Health research as news in South Africa: measuring the quality of health journalism at six daily newspapers
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12) Stassen, Wilma; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Quantitative analysis of reporting on new medical research by six South African newspapers The media are extremely influential in shaping public opinion about various issues. News reports on new medical research have the potential to impact on people’s health – not only by influencing individual behaviour, but also by informing health professionals and policy-makers about new medical findings. This study measured the standard of news reports on new medical research that were published in six daily newspapers in South Africa during 2014. Using a rating model developed by Health Media Review and based on ten criteria that characterise a good health news report, every relevant article published in that period was analysed and rated. The ratings of individual articles were combined to determine an average rating for each newspaper. Averages for each criterion highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of each newspaper’s reporting on new medical research. Additional information about the number, placement and origin of articles was also collected and provided insight into the value newspapers attach to reports on new medical research. The findings indicated that although the average scores varied widely between individual newspapers, definitive trends in high and low scoring criteria applied to all the publications. In other words, newspapers displayed similar strengths and weaknesses for certain criteria and there were definitive areas in which all newspapers either scored very well or fared poorly. In general the assessed newspapers fared well regarding some very important basic principles of science reporting, such as grasping the quality of evidence and avoiding disease mongering, but much more can be done to improve the standard of reporting on new medical research. The research indicated that journalists should engage more critically with new research by highlighting the benefits as well as the risks of a new medication or technology, adding comment from independent sources and ensuring that they only report on peer-reviewed research. Journalists should also do more to inform readers about the accessibility and true value of new research by discussing availability and costs and benchmarking it against other therapies.
Hekwagterskap tydens die Waarheids-en-versoeningskommissie se sitting oor chemiese en biologiese oorlogvoering soos gereflekteer in drie Kaapstadse dagblaaie
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000-04) Ferreira, Jannie; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: When rumours started circulating in 1998 that former president Nelson Mandela and Mrs Graca Machel were about to get married, Mandela's spokesman at the time, Parks Mankahlana, vehemently denied them. Mankahlana was the gatekeeper who decided what information about Mandela' s impending marriage would be made available to the rest of the world. The entire incident became somewhat of an embarrassment for Mandela's office, resulting in the former president trying hard to cover for Mankahlana at subsequent media conferences. In the end it became a case of trying to unravel who had lied to whom, who had given whom instructions to say what, and who had been in the know and at what stage, etc. A similar incident ensued following an assassination attempt on former American president Ronald Reagan in 1981. Initially his media office kept the gates firmly shut by alleging he had been only slightly injured. Later it emerged he'd been much more seriously injured than the White House had initially intimated. Between 1996 and 1998 South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigated human rights violations since 1960. The South African and foreign media were faced with the challenge of presenting witness accounts of the numerous attrocities in a palatable form. Despite these attempts media managers at Cape Town's two English-language dailies in particular detected a measure of reader resistance to "bad news" which made readers feel" powerless", and they consequently had to adopt a careful approach. The TRC could not be ignored, but the often gruesome details which came to light could not willy nilly be stuffed down readers' throats. Gatekeeping had to be exercised with the greatest circumspection and the news filters prudently regulated. This study attempts to illustrate the concept of gatekeeping by analysing the coverage the three Cape Town dailies, the Cape Argus, Cape Times and Die Burger, gave the most sensational sessions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In June and July 1998 about 10 men, each of them doctors or generals, gave evidence about their involvement in the stockpiling of chemical and biological weapons for South Africa's arsenal. Reporters were confronted with a major challenge to comply with the journalistic rigours set by this session. This study concentrates on reports of the different version of events given by four prominent witnesses, Dr Wouter Basson, former project leader of South Africa's chemical and biological weapons programme, his commanding officer and former surgeon general Lieutenant General Niel Knobel, General Lothar Neethling, former head of the police's forensic laboratory, and Dr Jan Lourens, biomedical engineer and the first witness to take the stand. To illustrate the phenomenon of gatekeeping interviews were held with nine journalists at the three newspapers to determine their views and perceptions, and the effect of these on the phenomenon of gatekeeping. Aspiring media managers, media managers, reporters and anyone performing a gatekeeping role may find the findings of this study useful.
Die historiese debat oor keasionisme en evolusie, met spesifieke verwysing na 'n seleksie van briewe in Die Burger (1999-2002)
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-04) Simes, Wyno; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The debate about the validity of evolution versus creationism started long ago when Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species. Yet today the debate about this issue still engenders a lot of controversy – not only in South Africa, but also, and especially, in the United States. This study investigates articles and letters to the editor in an Afrikaans daily newspaper, Die Burger, over a certain period, and will look at the arguments for and against evolution and creationism. The fact that creationists – despite so much evidence to the contrary – pursue a form of pseudoscience by (sometimes) interpreting the Bible literally, and, amongst other things, deny the real age of the earth. There has never been an in-depth look at the public debate about evolution versus creationism in a South African newspaper. The purpose of this study is to conduct an in-depth investigation into this particular debate in the media, with specific reference to correspondence in the letters pages of Die Burger, with regard to the possible influence which the debate about evolution and creationism in an Afrikaans daily newspaper might have on people’s consciousness regarding modern science. It will also explore how some individuals, often conservative believers, still cling to ancient viewpoints and which have repeatedly been disproved by science.
Human stem cell research : tracking media attention in time from 1998-2005
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006-12) Morrison, Christa (De Swardt); Claassen, George; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
Moral questions arising from advances in science and technology are proliferating exponentially. Much controversy surrounds the ways in which biotechnology is used to eradicate a vast range of diseases and injuries. Stem cell research is one such way. Throughout the world stem cell research has been met with varying responses that range from opposition and criticism to approval and advocacy. As a result, it has attracted significant attention from the news media. The media have been accused of bias by focusing only on the controversial aspects of the research as opposed to reporting fully and fairly on the remarkable scientific advances. In this study I look at the patterns of media attention paid to stem cell research in the international weekly magazine Time between November 1998 and September 2005 inclusive. Contrary to the results expected on the basis of my literature study which pointed out the notion that the media tend to focus on sensational news more than non-controversial issues, I found that Time did a fair job in reporting on the scientific aspects of stem cell research. The percentage content of articles by year, focusing on scientific information of stem cells, dominated other news frames. The two years following the 2000 and 2004 American presidential elections, are however marked by the dominance of policy frames. This study found that Time covered controversial issues like embryonic stem cell research, public funding debates and political policy development in direct relation to their rise and fall on the political agenda in the United States.
Is natural good for you? Myths, perceptions and science in advertising, marketing and the media
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008-03) Frost, Jennifer; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This assignment explores the assumptions and perceptions – both real, and created by the media, marketers and advertisers – surrounding the word “natural” when applied to health foods, vitamins, home remedies and medication. It also examines the anti-science stance taken by many promoters of such products and the appeal that stance holds for targeted consumers. In it an attempt is made to answer the following questions: What is the source of this apparently “antiscience” point of view? How have the media contributed to this type of sentiment? Why do socalled “natural” products hold more appeal to consumers than their synthetic equivalents? Is there a difference between such products? Is the difference real or perceived? Or, is it merely a media construct? Does the popularity of these ideas indicate a growing distrust of science and governments? What effect has the media’s portrayal of science had on peoples’ attitudes to it? And, above all, what have the media done to advance the idea that “natural” is good for you?
The media as watchdog in the commercialisation of science : a case study of 6 publications
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006-04) Valentine, Alexander J. (Alexander Joseph); Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The role of the media as a watchdog for the social institution of science is viewed as part of the media’s role to protect society. In this regard, the role of media was studied in reporting the phenomenon of the commercialisation of academic research at universities. The current study was conducted by analysing articles in 2 scientific journals (Science and Nature) and 4 printed newspapers (The New York Times, London Times, Mail & Gaurdian, Business Day) for the year 2003. The methods of investigation for each publication included the number of articles covering the topic, the percentage coverage, headline analysis, summary of contents and analysis of the themes. The New York Times had more articles on the topic of the “commercialisation of science at universities” than the other publications. However, based on the number of issues per year, Science and Nature had a greater coverage of the topic than The New York Times. Based on the analyses of the articles, it is concluded that The New York Times had the most balanced and informed coverage of all the issues and stakeholders involved in the commercialisation of science at universities. This is attributed to the The New York Times’s position of standing outside the realm of science and its experience in covering broad issues.
Media coverage and framing of genetically modified crops: A case study of science journalism in Nigeria
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Omeje, Chikezie Humphrey; Claassen, George; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines and analyses the media coverage and framing of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in Nigeria in view of the controversy surrounding the deployment of agricultural biotechnology. The objective is to examine the quality of media reporting on this contested science and the state of science journalism in the country. Agenda-setting and social constructionism are used to establish the theoretical framework for the study. The study employed both a qualitative and quantitative approach to data collection: content analysed four leading newspapers, 37 science journalists responded to an online questionnaire and eight in-depth interviews were conducted with science journalists. The main findings were that the frequency of reporting on GM crops was low; the tone of the headlines and articles was more negative; there were more articles with perceived risks of GM crops than perceived benefits; and the articles were mostly news stories about the comments of government officials and anti-GM activists. GM crops were framed in four prominent ways: agriculture, controversy, regulation, and safety with the regulation and safety frames dominating the media coverage. The media framing of GM crops was greatly influenced by the sources, predominated by government officials and anti-GM groups. Overall, the quality of media coverage of GM crops was very poor because of the poor state of science journalism in Nigeria. The journalists lacked the capacity and resources to cover science accurately, especially controversial science like GMO. This study recommends that scientists and research institutions should proactively engage the media and advocate in shaping public perception on scientific outcomes. It also recommends for newsrooms to specifically hire science journalists to generate locally relevant science stories, rather than filling their science pages with articles from foreign media.
The media management of Nevirapine: content, causes and consequences
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006-03) Bolognesi, Natasha; Claassen, George; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
This study presents an observation, analysis and effect indication of the media portrayal of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine in Western Cape daily newspapers. The research is aimed at ascertaining the quality and consequences of science reporting on an essential, yet too often politically controversial, AIDS treatment within the South African context. This work ultimately offers suggestions as to how the media could play a more beneficial role for the South African public when reporting on nevirapine and HIV/AIDS treatment in general.

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