The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorBotma, Gawieen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDinabantu, Keith Sindileen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-02-16T16:01:49Z
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-29T09:31:49Z
dc.date.available2022-02-16T16:01:49Z
dc.date.available2022-04-29T09:31:49Z
dc.date.issued2021-12
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the normative role of three corporately owned community newspapers and provides vital contribution to the study of community press in the digital era. Explored literature highlights that corporately owned community newspapers dominate the local press ecosystem. This study includes both Media24’s District Mail and Eikestad Nuus, and Independent Media Group’s Northern News. This study acknowledges different ownership patterns in the South African community newspaper ecosystem. These are community- owned not-for-profit, independent for-profit, and corporately owned community newspapers. However, available literature largely focuses on normative role of community-owned not-for-profit newspapers, and minimal on corporately owned press. Theoretical points of departure draw from the insights of normative theory of media and information society theory. These theories helped to outline community newspaper’s normative function, and the impact of digital media on their daily journalistic operations. Methodologically, this study adopted a qualitative design, with conducted interviews with editors, journalists, and analysis of documents as data collection methods. These documents helped to identify whether these newspapers are, as widely known in print media sector, are also facing challenges associated with declining circulations. This study’s findings highlight the newspapers endeavour to fulfil their ideal role as prescribed by normative theory of media. These roles include production of hyperlocal content, being a watchdog, and promotion of community participation in news production. The challenges they face, inter alia - are dwindling print circulation, as highlighted by in the literature review chapter of this study. Reader’s shift to digital news, budget cuts, and pressure to acquire multi-skilled journalists are the cause for these challenges. Despite the challenges, respondents from these corporately owned newspapers believe their role remains important as key stakeholders of the community.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie ondersoek die normatiewe rol van drie gemeenskapskoerante in korporatiewe besit. Dit lewer ’n belangrike bydrae tot navorsing oor die gemeenskapspers in die digitale era. Literatuur wat bestudeer is, beklemtoon dat gemeenskapskoerante in korporatiewe besit die plaaslike pers-ekosisteem oorheers. Hierdie studie sluit koerante van Media24, Distrikspos en Eikestadnuus, en die Independent Media Group, Northern News, in. Die studie aanvaar dat daar verskillende eienaarskap-patrone in die Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskapskoerant-ekosisteem is. Daar is koerante in gemeenskapsbesit wat nie op winsbejag gerig is nie; onafhanklike, winsbejagte koerante; en gemeenskapskoerante in korporatiewe besit. Bestaande literatuur fokus meestal op die normatiewe rol van nie-winsbejagte koerante, en nie op die korporatiewe gemeenskapspers nie. Teoretiese vertrekpunte is gebou op die insigte van normatiewe teoriee van die media- en inligtingsamelewing. Hierdie teoriee het gehelp om die normatiewe funksies van gemeenskapskoerante uiteen te sit, en die impak van digitale media op hul daaglikse joernalistieke werk te ondersoek. Metodologies is hierdie studie kwalitatief van aard. Data is ingesamel deur onderhoude te voer met redakteurs en joernaliste, asook deur dokument-analise. Hierdie dokumente het gehelp om te bepaal hoe gemeenskapskoerante te staan kom teen die uitdagings van dalende sirkulasie, ’n algemene probleem in die mediabedryf. Die studie se bevindings beklemtoon die koerante se strewe om hul ideale rol te vervul, soos dit beskryf word in normatiewe mediateorie. Hierdie rol sluit in die produksie van hiperplaaslike inhoud, die waghondrol en die bevordering van gemeenskapsdeelname in die produksie van nuus. Die uitdagings waarvoor hierdie koerante te staan kom, sluit in dalende sirkulasie van gedrukte koerante, soos in die literatuurhoofstuk van hierdie studie bespreek word. Lesers se skuif na digitale nuus, begrotings wat gesny word en druk op joernaliste om veelvuldige vaardighede aan te leer, is die oorsaak van hierdie uitdagings. Ongeag die uitdagings, meen respondente van gemeenskapskoerante in korporatiewe besit dat hul rol steeds belangrik is as sleutel-belanghebbendes in die gemeenskap.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentix, 74 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124773
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectMedia24 (FIRM)en_ZA
dc.subjectLocal mass media -- Economic aspects -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectSouth African newspapersen_ZA
dc.subjectCommunity newspapers -- Economic aspects -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectJournalismen_ZA
dc.subjectElectronic newspapers -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectNewspapers -- Ownership -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleThe normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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