Masters Degrees (Journalism)

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An analysis of the policy governing broadcasting news in contemporary South Africa, using Hanberger’s model
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12) Griesel, Jenny; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the South African constitutional democracy, the state is responsible for ensuring that people have access to information, in order to make informed decisions and participate in democratic life. This responsibility is enshrined in the Constitution through the right to access information and the freedom of the media. The state enables constitutional imperatives via legislation. The broadcasting news policy is implemented via a Chapter 9 organisation, namely the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). The operation of this organisation is also provided for in the Constitution.This study is a policy analysis of the policy governing electronic news in contemporary South Africa, with a specific focus on free-to-air national television. Using Hanberger’s model as a framework to steer the research, this study examines whether the current policy is achieving its aims. Normative theory provides the theoretical point of departure, as the study questions whether the policy is effectively contributing to an informed population in the country, in order to further democracy. Using a qualitative research approach, the research methodology included a content analysis of free-to-air television news bulletins on SABC3 and ETV, analysis of documents related to the policy, and interviews with stakeholders.The study found that the South African public is being under-serviced with television news that lacks both depth and a diversity of viewpoints, that television newsrooms are under-resourced, and that owing to gaps in the policy, television stations produce the bare minimum of news. Additionally, the study revealed that the implementing organisation ICASA is inadequately fulfilling its function in various ways and has lost sight of its purpose. Other findings were that the country lacks an essential, legal definition of news, that the policy is managed in a superficial manner, and that there is a clear need for the policy to be revised and updated to accommodate the many shifts which have occurred in the socio-economic landscape and in the media environment since the policy’s inception 25 years ago.
Blogs in the mainstream media : an exploration of a code of ethical conduct for j-bloggers at Die Burger Western Cape
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2008-03) De Vries, Florence; Botma, Gabriel; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
With the advent of new communication technologies, traditional journalism has continually had to adjust to new contexts. In 2006, the Western Cape daily newspaper Die Burger established a blogging section as part of its website. Presently j-bloggers (journalists who are bloggers) still work according to Die Burger’s current ethical code of conduct. Yet the establishment of j-blogs at Die Burger has raised a number of questions regarding the ethical conduct of journalists in this medium. This study attempts to show that the mainstream ethical concepts of accuracy, fairness and the use of anonymous sources may be interpreted differently in the medium of blogging and explores the feasibility of a code of conduct for j-bloggers at Die Burger. Die Burger’s code of conduct is compared with various bloggers’ codes of conduct. The study argues that Die Burger’s code of conduct offers more comprehensive guidelines for journalists than most bloggers’ codes. These guidelines include protecting the newspaper’s reading public from harm. However, it was also found that the different interpretations of ethical concepts on blogs need to be considered in a code of conduct for j-bloggers. In this study, the composition of a code of conduct for j-bloggers was discussed with j-bloggers, print journalists and several other stakeholders at Die Burger. The participants in this study argued that a code of conduct for j-bloggers may be feasible but that it should operate in addition to Die Burger’s current code of conduct. Furthermore, this study argues two normative theories of the press – the social responsibility and democratic-participant theories – intersect in a discussion of ethical codes for j-bloggers. Using this theoretical framework, the study aims to describe specific guidelines for the ethical conduct of j-bloggers at Die Burger.
Changes and challenges in the face of digital disruptions at community print newspapers of Boland Media and WP Media : perspectives from the newsroom
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Van der Spuy, Michelle; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Community print newspapers in South Africa have not been immune to the consequences of the digital disruption on the media landscape in general and the print media industry in particular. While research has been conducted on the changes and challenges the digital disruption has caused in the print media industry, there is a lack of research on how this phenomenon has affected the newsrooms of community print newspapers in South Africa. This study employed a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach as theoretical framework to examine the changes and challenges journalists working at community print newspapers in South Africa experience in their newsrooms. Interviews were conducted with nine community journalists from a number of community newspapers published in the Western Cape by Boland Media and WP Media. The researcher explored their experiences with and perspectives on changes and challenges in the newsroom, the way these journalists function in an online environment, the role of community newspapers in the communities they serve, the quality of community newspapers in South Africa as well as what the participants in this study believe the future may hold for these publications. The researcher found that while there are in fact a number of changes and challenges present in the participants’ newsrooms, this does not hamper their passion for or quality of their work.
Closing online comments: A case study of News24
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) McKenzie, Roy Douglas; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines how the decision by News24, South Africa’s biggest news website, to close down its comments facility impacted both the media product and perceptions about the state of public discourse in South Africa. Commenting forums can be considered one of the thorniest challenges for online news publications. Ideally, comments allow readers to participate in vibrant online discussions about key issues and give instant feedback, taking the traditional letter to the editor of a newspaper one step further. This online public sphere has become an essential ingredient of a news website, increasing engagement and fostering healthy debate which serves a normative purpose by advancing democracy and social discourse. However, the reality is somewhat more complex, as the freedom of expression in commenting forums can become a free-for-all, with emboldened readers taking advantage of the anonymity and distance afforded by such forums to express themselves in abusive ways they may ordinarily not have. A range of positivistic and critical theories are used, including uses and gratification, gate-keeping, the normative public sphere and critical political economy, to investigate the management considerations informing the decision to close the comments facility, the reactions of staff, and the implications for News24 and perceptions about the state of public debate in South Africa. It is a case study that uses both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in the form of interviews, an online survey, and content analysis of over 1600 comments. This study found that News24’s decision was based on reputational and legal concerns, and was also influenced by local and international competitors who grappled with similar issues and decided to either partially or fully close their commenting facilities. It also found the move to steer commenting to social media, particularly Facebook, could be seen as an effort to absolve News24 of the responsibility of moderating comments, but also resulted in a loss of engagement.
The commercial mainstream news media’s portrayal of the South African farmer in the 21st century: An exploratory study
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Botha, Isabeau; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The image of the South African farmer in the 21st century is arguably still rooted in a colonial construct. The portrayal of the farmer is especially relevant in relation to current media coverage surrounding fear and uncertainty about land expropriation in South Africa. The land reform crisis foregrounds issues pertaining to marginalised black farmers and stigmatised white farmers in response to the racialised hegemony of a superior colonial farmer identity. However, in a nascent democratic society still characterised by inequality and polarisation, it is inspiring that certain people’s perceptions about Others, namely farmers who do not fit the colonial farmer norm, might slowly be changing. The question is whether such transformative discourses about farmer identity are visible in South Africa’s commercial mainstream news media, who has the power to influence public perception. Academic research about the portrayal of the farmer in the mainstream media is still limited, especially in the South African context. This exploratory study aims to discover how farmers are represented in certain South African commercial mainstream news media, namely The Citizen, News24, Netwerk24, TimesLIVE, SowetanLIVE, City Press, Mail & Guardian and Independent Online (IOL). The theoretical point of departure is the conflict between stereotypical and nuanced representation, especially relating to the use of language in news selection and presentation. This study’s chosen theoretical framework is Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), with the Foucaultdian concept of representation as discourse as the basis for an exploration of how the combination of power/knowledge might influence the portrayal of farmers. This exploratory study used CDA to analyse the relationship between these publications’ portrayal of farmers on the one hand, and their own ideological preferences and their perceived audiences on the other. The concept of the critical discourse moment is employed to direct the sampling of this study, with land expropriation without compensation as the chosen moment. A CDA of news media coverage of farmers in the mentioned publications during 2018 found that the discourse of fear visible in land expropriation debates is countered by a discourse of collaboration, which challenges the colonial farmer construct as well as the Othering of farmers. Although examples were found of representations of certain groups that allude to continued power struggles based on divisions and presuppositions created through colonialism and apartheid, evidence was also found of stereotypes about both white and black farmers being contested. Farmers as well as other agricultural role players can arguably be powerful actors in new knowledge construction about farmers in the commercial mainstream South African news media.
Discourses of social problems: A framing analysis of the use and influences of expert sources in the construction of child abuse news in selected South African newspapers in 2015
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03) Smith, Charmaine; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. Journalism
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The study describes how the social problem of child abuse was framed in selected South African newspapers. Of interest is whether experts’ presence in news results in a different framing than those without. To reflect on journalist–source dynamics within the context of news construction and claims-maker activities, the study explores the factors that influence journalists’ use of expert sources in child abuse news, and documents such sources’ experiences of and approaches towards the media. Located in the social construction paradigm, a particular stream of framing theory concerned with source influences and the media limiting sources to elites due to professional norms, practices and organisational factors is used. As information selected and highlighted (that is, framed) by the media forms interpretative packages that collectively translate into discourses, frames are treated as characteristics of discourses. Entman's (1993) influential definition of a frame is used for analysis, and a normative theory of expertise guides the definition of experts. The sample focuses on hard news reports from three English daily mainstream newspapers from different publishing houses with the highest readership: The Citizen, Sowetan, and The Star. Qualitative methodology associated with social constructionism is used, in particular discourse analysis, with content (framing) analysis and semi-structured interviews the chosen research methods. The study shows that experts did not feature that regularly as news sources. When they did, however, they contributed considerably to solutions-based framing. Court and crime reporting dominated the sample; thus violent or sexual abuse were the most reported although experts appeared very seldom in these. Less severe (but more common) abuse forms hardly ever featured. Encouragingly, the reality that children often know their abusers was reflected regularly, thus challenging “stranger-danger” discourses. A considerable amount of attention on human trafficking and missing children in the absence of empirical evidence that these are a serious local problem raises questions about a likely moral panic driven by claims-makers’ agendas. The pro-active, hopeful and empowering prevention discourses of experts were in contrast to the rhetorical, blame or punishment discourses of other sources. Media discourses of deviance and individual blame were evident. Solutions for child abuse were presented more within the cultural frame of individualism than the collective frame; thus the roles of government and men, and the need for changed societal norms and attitudes were addressed minimally. The interviews illustrated journalist–source dynamics and organisational factors on both sides that restrict engagement. Experts’ framing power was determined by the purpose of media engagement, how that took place, the status of their institutions, and journalists’ attitudes towards reporting on abuse. Questions arose about source autonomy, limited claims verification by the media, and little focus on poverty as a main causal agent of abuse. As journalists and experts described similar (positive) roles for themselves in child abuse reporting, it is recommended that this presents an opportunity to join in a public health model partnership on abuse prevention messages – these could present this social problem in a more pro-active and hopeful frame to the public.
The execution of digital first editorial strategy in South Africa : the case of Netwerk24, Beeld, Die Burger and Volksblad
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Vermeulen, Marguerite; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The influence of the adopted digital first strategy at the Afrikaans online news website Netwerk24 and its print partners, the traditional regional daily newspapers Beeld, Die Burger and Volksblad, is examined and described in this study. The theories of news routines, news selection, gatekeeping and news values are used to guide this study in answering the research questions, which centers on the flow of news articles about the alleged racism event in Schweizer-Reneke Primary School in January 2019. The flow of news is described by analysing 53 individual articles published online and in the printed newspapers. The seven-day period in which the articles were collected, covers an alleged racism incident at the Schweizer-Reneke Primary School in 2019. This study does not focus on the event itself, however, the event is utilised to focus on the workflow at the selected publications during the covering of big news. During 10 interviews with news workers in different roles at the four publications, light was shed on the roles of news workers, their digital first strategy, desk reporters, the importance of audience clicks and news values, the use of technology and social media, gatekeeping in this environment, repurposing of content across the publications, as well as news gathering views. The study concludes that the publications face numerous constraints subsequent to the digital disruption – which in itself is not a novel development. However, the current state of these influential publications indicates their strategic cooperation in order to survive.
An exploration of South African news organisations’ #FeesMustFall tweet-activity on the Twitter networked public sphere
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Baillie-Stewart, Adrian; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study contributes towards the study of journalism in the age of social media and the role of the news organisation in the Twitter networked public sphere. The convergence of news media and social networks has resulted in the media industry being “challenged by a complex environment” (Villi, Matikainen & Khaldarova, 2016: 289). The primary focus of the study was to explore South African news organisations’ #FeesMustFall tweet-activity that took place on the Twitter networked public sphere for the period 15 to 23 October 2015. On 22 October 2015 the #FeesMustFall hashtag was trending on Twitter and featured prominently in news-media articles, stories and news reports. On 23 October 2015, President Zuma announced a zero fee increase for the 2016 academic year (Hosken, 2015). Relevant to the #FeesMustFall debate, this study endeavoured to determine how South African news organisations played their journalistic role (or not) on Twitter. This was facilitated by investigating South African news organisations’ use of the Twitter platform’s unique microblog features (e.g., direct messaging (DM), @mentions, and URL links) in their tweets. The theoretical paradigms of media functionalism, the information society and the networked public sphere were combined to establish a unique hybrid theoretical model that best-informs and best-supports the academic analysis of phenomena specific to this study. The study employed the use of a mixedmethods computer-assistive methodology, using the Tableau® software application in order to process South African news organisations’ tweets that featured the “#FeesMustFall” hashtag. The findings reveal some shortcomings and inconsistencies in news organisations’ quality of journalistic-type information that was published on Twitter. The study concludes with a discussion and a set of recommendations on three levels: the empirical, theoretical and methodological levels. The primary recommendation is that South African news organisations might wish to relook their current Twittercontent publishing strategy and refine their best practices for Twitter usage.
Exploring how digitalisation has influenced entertainment and lifestyle journalism at Tiso Blackstar Group
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Farah, Jessica; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores how entertainment and lifestyle journalists have been influenced by digitalisation within the broader Tiso Blackstar Group newsroom. Presented within the field of journalism studies, the study analyses how digital tools have influenced the news gathering processes. These processes, including the selection and publication of content, are described by theories such as the news net, gate-keeping and news values, while concepts from Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory aid the understanding of a specialised field in the newsroom. A literature review showed the introduction of digital tools has been met with mixed reaction from journalists and media professionals as online journalism faces a myriad of criticism including fake news, sensationalist reporting, a lack of investigative stories and bowing down to the needs of the reader. This study is timeous as South African media houses, including Tiso Blackstar Group, are under fire for the publishing of alleged false stories and reported chequebook journalism. Bearing in mind the pressure digital journalism is under, and the ageold criticism that entertainment and lifestyle journalism produces “little of value” this study aimed to delve deeper into whether these criticisms are still valid in a digital age. This study used a mixed-methodology. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 14 participants, the researcher explored not only how news gathering processes have been changed, but also how story selection and publishing of content has been amended because of the implementation of digital tools in the newsroom. This information was compared to quantitative data in the form of daily diaries over a seven day period, the number of stories published by beats such as news, sport, politics, entertainment and lifestyle, and the number of clicks each beat receives. Entertainment and lifestyle journalists considered themselves as having high volumes of capital in the field of digital journalism based on the number of articles they produce, their ability to produce news quickly and the number of readers their content attracts. The research findings reveal that entertainment and lifestyle journalists experience of digital tools is different based on whether they are print or digitally focussed. The findings also showed that despite entertainment and lifestyle journalists believing they had more capital in the newsroom when compared to other beats, this did not amount to tangible results such as financial rewards. The study concludes that the newsroom at Tiso Blackstar Group remains segregated by journalists who work in digital and journalists who work at print brands. The impact of digital tools, therefore, is more applicable to those who work in a digital environment.
Exploring the role of community radio programming in youth empowerment: A case study of Sajonisi Youth Radio (SYR) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Pinyana, Ndlelantle; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study explored the role of community radio programming on youth empowerment with Sajonisi Youth Radio (SYR) in a rural part of the Eastern Cape used as a case study. The focus was on how programming and programmes in rural based community radio stations effectively enable access to developmental information aimed at youth empowerment in the 21st century. The study identified and analysed programmes that SYR broadcasted aimed at youth empowerment and reflected on the programming process, participatory model as well as exploring the role of journalists in newsgathering practices and newsroom value chain processes. The study further discerned the influence on youth of Port St Johns at both individual and social levels. The study used a qualitative method and referred to development theory. As community radio stations existed to give spotlight to information needs and grassroots community issues that are a day-to-day lived experience of society, the study was in resonance with a development communication paradigm. Data was collected from internal (inside) and external (outside) participants that were significant in shaping the programming and programmes of the radio station. Data gathering process was through semi-structured interviews and documents received from the radio station. As a platform for sustained citizen engagement, the establishment of SYR ought to provide access and empowering knowledge to rural communities, particularly youth. Results showed that the existence of SYR contributed towards youth empowerment and provided access to life-changing socio empowerment programmes.
Financial journalism as watchdog and educator : a case study of Tiso Blackstar’s reporting on the Steinhoff corporate scandal from 1st of January 2016 to the 6th of December 2017
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Van Wyk, Annemarie; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the reporting on the Steinhoff corporate scandal in some of South Africa’s premier business publications prior to the company’s collapse in December 2017. From a normative and critical political economy theory perspective, this study examines how financial journalists at Tiso Blackstar reported on the company in the period before its demise. The question that arises from a normative theory perspective is whether the journalists fulfilled their journalistic duty to hold corporate power to account. In addition, from a critical political economy theory perspective, the study examines the power relations between corporations and journalists and the way in which these power relations influenced journalism practice. Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis model is used to study the vocabulary, grammar and textual relations of news discourses for ideological meaning. Another aim is to establish if financial journalism promotes understanding of complex financial issues in this case. The results show that financial journalism was influenced by the market society in which it is situated, with journalists being constrained by time, space and resources. It was also found that a lack of skills, training and too close proximity and dependence on sources within the financial system prevented journalists from identifying and investigating and exposing this particular corporate fraud.
The intermedia agenda-setting relationship between TimesLive and Twitter in South Africa
(2022-04) Tshabalala, Tshepo; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This researched explored the intermedia agenda setting relationship between online news publication, TimesLive (i.e., TimesLive.co.za) and social media platform, Twitter. The relationship between the two platforms was explored within the context of the growing development of digital media, the fast-changing news environment as well as the agenda setting role of online legacy media. This research aimed to assess the direction of this relationship between TimesLive and Twitter. This research assessed whether narratives proffered on social media, specifically, Twitter, has direct influence on the news media agenda and/or whether narratives produced by TimesLives influence the social media agenda. The intermedia agenda setting theory was employed as theoretical framework in this research. To conduct the study, a mixed-methodology design was employed. Several hypothesis, which state that there is mutual intermedia agenda setting between TimesLive and Twitter both over the course of a single day and between days were tested. Data for both platforms was gathered twice a day over a seven-day period. This data was subsequently manually coded and then analysed. The quantitative content analysis employed cross-lagged panels with Rozelle-Campbell baseline was employed to assess the direction of the hypothesized relationship. Additionally, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with several journalists and editors at TimesLive to explore ways in which the agenda can be set for TimesLive by Twitter, (vice versa) in ways that may not be appear explicitly in the content on both platforms. Through the content analysis of both Twitter and TimesLive, as well as through interviews with participants, it was not as clear who sets the agenda between the two media platforms. However, this area of study needs to be further explored as influence and impact of social media within newsrooms in South Africa cannot be discounted.
Negotiating femininity: SA teenage girls’ interpretation of teen magazine discourse constructed around Seventeen
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-03) De Villiers, Emma; Botma, Gabriel
Adolescent girls’ passage to womanhood is frequently exposed to a vast array of media products. Mass communication products have become educational devices, guiding young women towards an understanding of femininity and all its accompanying intricacies. We are taught gender lessons throughout our lives, but our teen years are of special significance in this regard. In a society that is becoming all the more media saturated, advertisers are capitalising on different desires and ideals that are being constructed in the media. Initially, only adult women were targeted, but these days a number of mass media products aimed specifically at young women have opened up a whole new market. Until a few years ago, South African teenage girls had only women’s magazines aimed at adult women to refer to. These days, however, a number of teen magazine titles exist locally. The aim of this study was to look at teen magazines as an example of texts that are aimed specifically at adolescent women. More specifically, the study looked at the discourse on femininity within the pages of the text – what is the magazine in essence saying about womanhood? To take the research one step further, it was decided to look at how readers of the magazine engaged and negotiated with the text in order to inform their own understanding of femininity. The goal of the study was to determine how the discourse on femininity played out between the text and the reader. Combining quantitative and qualitative elements, the study was located within a cultural studies framework and referred to Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model as a representation of the communication process. It was found that the magazine under scrutiny had twelve specific thematic categories that were most prominent. It was found that the femininity encoded in these texts revolved around consumerism, fashion and boys. The study found that the readers taking part in focus group research possessed a sufficient amount of educational “cultural capital” to be able to resist the dominant messages encoded in the texts, yet they seemingly chose not to. This study also indicated that the femininity that was constructed in the studied text did not take the greater South African context into account, and that it served to entertain readers from higher LSM groups rather than all South African girls.
On-field: The response of South African mainstream sports journalists toward fan vlogging on YouTube during the 2019 Rugby World Cup
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Pather, Benedict; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalisn.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sports journalism has not been exempt from the consequences of the digital disruption and continues to have to adjust to the invasive nature of new media tools in the hands of the public. While research on the influence of social media on journalism has been conducted, there remains a lack of research on how vlogging has affected journalism in general, especially sports journalism. A qualitative research design was employed, using a phenomenological approach as the theoretical framework, to examine the responses of mainstream South African sports journalists toward fan vlogging on YouTube during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Four media theories were utilised, which includes, gatekeeping theory backed up by field theory and technological determinism theory, backed by the theory of the public sphere. Interviews were conducted with reporters who covered the mentioned tournament. This was supplemented with a netnography for further insight. This researcher explored changes to work routines due to digitisation, possible threats to the profession and levels of co-existence between journalists and the interactive audience. Focus was also placed on ascertaining possible benefits fan vlogging offers the sports journalism field. This researcher found that fan vlogging on YouTube presents challenges and opportunities for working professionals operating in a dynamic ecosystem that connects new media with sports. A study of this nature is significant as it generates discourse around a cultural practice that is gaining momentum around the world, the global south in particular.
#PennySparrow and South African race conflicts online : evaluating Twitter as a democratic public sphere
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Dyke-Beyer, Bronwen Heather; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research seeks to determine whether or not Twitter can be considered a networked public sphere which enhances the potential for deliberative democracy. It makes use of reactions to the Penny Sparrow incident on Twitter as a case study of conflict around racial identity in post-apartheid South Africa. In order to analyse Tweets about the case the researcher acknowledges and explores the tensions which exist between remnants of apartheid ideology and the hegemony around non- and anti-racialism which is promoted by the democratically elected post-apartheid government. Racism and democracy are fundamentally incompatible in a racially inclusive South Africa and racial conflicts on Twitter reflect the complex interplay between different races in South Africa The theoretical foundation for the study includes the work of Jürgen Habermas, Nancy Fraser, Chantal Mouffe, Manuel Castells, Yochai Benkler and Lincoln Dahlberg. By seeking the points at which they intersect, the researcher uses the work of all six theorists to identify five major points which define a networked public sphere; namely access, equality, freedom of expression, relevance to topic and quality of discussion, and adherence to behavioural norms. The case study uses critical discourse analysis to analyse Tweets using the hashtag #PennySparrow. Of particular interest are the complex power relations at play within online racial conflicts and these are interrogated discursively with a focus on revealing themes and forms of argumentation. Issues such as the need for a multiplicity of voices, the presence of counter-hegemonic discourse, the reaching of consensus and the potential consequences of racial conflict online were considered. By using the above-mentioned criteria, the viability of Twitter as a networked public sphere is evaluated. Using these findings the researcher concludes that Twitter in South Africa can in some ways, although not definitively, be considered a public sphere which enhances the potential for deliberative democracy.
Die rol en regulering van internetdiskoerse op die NG Kerk se webplatforms in die daarstelling van ŉ publieke sfeer
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Van Niekerk, Francine; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates if and how the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) uses its websites to create a public sphere. Since the end of apartheid this church and its media had to adapt to the changing environment in South Africa, particularly in its increasing use of the new media to involve believers and non-believers. Because of the internet’s potential to connect people from all over the world and its interactivity, scholars assert that the internet can create a public sphere. Habermas’ idea of the public sphere, a conceptual space where critical public discourse takes place and anyone can participate, forms the theoretical underpinning for this study. This theory, however, is slightly adapted by arguing that conflict – within bounds – is also part of the communication process within the public sphere. This study focuses on seven active websites of the DRC in order to examine its relation to public theology from a critical cultural perspective. The ideals of public theology closely relates to that of the public sphere. These ideals are a public debate on issues relating to the common good, which are discussed from a religious stance. A central view is that regulation can hinder the forming of a public sphere. Thus the nature and level of regulation on the church’s websites are examined. The nature of interaction between users and content on websites is also studied. This study combines qualitative and quantitative methods, including semi structured interviews, questionnaires, content analysis and systematic observation. The study found that Kerkbode’s Facebookpage facilitates a lively forum for debate on issues that advances the public sphere. The Facebookpage of the DRC has the potential to create such debates. On both these websites and Kerkbode-online and NG Kerk-online, regulation on midlevel curbs this potential. Other obstacles for creating a public sphere that was identified on the DRC’s websites, were personal insults, too narrow focus on internal church affairs and low participation in topics that could advance the public sphere.
Social media in the newspaper newsroom : the professional use of Facebook and Twitter at Rapport and The Mail & Guardian
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Jordaan, Marenet; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In a time of uncertainty for newspapers due in part to dwindling circulation, loss of advertising revenue and declining readership, Internet-based technologies have continued to grow. The unprecedented rise of social media, of which Facebook and Twitter are wellknown examples, has not gone unnoticed by the newspaper community. Despite their initial misgivings about the credibility of the information disseminated on these media, mainstream journalists worldwide have gradually started to adopt social media as professional tools. Social media serve as channels that help to funnel information towards journalists. Some newspaper journalists also use these media to broadcast news and promote their personal brands. The continued use of social media on a professional level will arguably have an impact on the daily routines and cultures within a newsroom. Academic research in this area is limited, especially within the South African context. This study explores whether the professional use of social media, with specific reference to Facebook and Twitter, influences the processes and cultures of news selection and presentation at the South Africa newspapers Rapport and the Mail & Guardian. A newsroom study within a social constructionism paradigm employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, including self-administered questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and ethnography. The main findings of this study were that the majority of journalists at Rapport and the Mail & Guardian used Facebook and Twitter actively on a professional level – mainly for trend tracking. The newsroom cultures were open and encouraging towards social media use. Journalists were also aware that social media create opportunities for their audiences to challenge the traditional roles of journalists and the realities constructed by the mainstream media. According to the journalists from Rapport and the Mail & Guardian the professional use of social media had not significantly altered their processes of news selection and presentation.
The state of arts and entertainment reporting in Cape Town's community newspapers
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Erfort, Chantel; Botma, Gabriel; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study analyses the state of arts reporting in Cape Town’s community newspapers. Arts reporting is an under-researched field in journalism, also in South Africa. One of the noticeable exceptions was a report by Media Monitoring Project (now Media Monitoring Africa) in 2006 about the state of South African arts journalism. Unfortunately MMP (2006) omitted community newspapers, which have an extensive reach, from their research focus. Millions of copies of these papers are printed and distributed free of charge to niche markets in rural and urban areas. Community newspapers thus are an important, and under-researched, part of the South African media landscape in general, and specifically in relation to arts reporting. This study contributes to new knowledge by focusing on a sample of community newspapers in Cape Town in order to analyse the state of their arts reporting, and compare it to the findings of the MMP’s (2006) research report, where applicable. This study is informed by theories of normative functionalism, which view the ideal role of the media as contributing to, among others, an informed, educated, entertained and harmonious society. In order to analyse the research sample, both quantitative and qualitative research methods are employed. Newspaper content is analysed and interviews conducted with editors, journalists and other stakeholders in the arts and entertainment industry. The findings from the various methods are compared to achieve triangulation. This study found that despite there being agreement on the importance of reporting on the arts, newsrooms were under-resourced and editors generally relied on news reporters with an interest in the arts – rather than specialist arts writers – to provide arts and entertainment content for their papers. There was also an overreliance on press releases supplied by public relations practitioners.

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