Constructing Kaaps in Son : an analysis of discursive practices, readership perception, and newspaper texts

Date
2024-03
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There are often negative views about tabloids and their journalistic practices. This study investigated the language use, discursive practices of journalists, and perceptions of readers of one South African tabloid, Son. Data was collected using purposive sampling of readers of Son who speak Kaaps and journalists who currently work for Son. A corpus of Son was analysed in conjunction with the data of the interviews. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Language Ideologies were used as the theoretical framework. CDA attempts to “make the implicit explicit”, mainly regarding the implicit relationship between discourse, power, and ideology while “challenging surface meanings, and not taking anything for granted” (Wodak, 2014, p. 304). Language ideologies refers to “beliefs, feelings, and conceptions about language that are socially shared and relate language and society in a dialectical fashion” (Piller, 2015, p.4). Through the use of these two frameworks, it was aimed to make beliefs about the language use of tabloids explicit. The majority of the journalists identify with the language use in Son. The readers also feel represented in Son as they find the language simple and easy to read, and a representation of their ways of speaking. The corpus of Son shows that Kaaps is mostly used in the entertainment sections, the columns, the jokes and the short stories. Sport and news, on the other hand, are mostly in Standard Afrikaans. The findings give more evidence that tabloids can create an alternative public sphere and give voice to those who were previously not represented in the mainstream media (Örnebring & Jönsson, 2004, p. 287). However, this representation is confined to only certain genres. As tabloids move to the digital sphere more research is needed on how this shift will affect production patterns, discursive practices, and consumption thereof.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is dikwels negatiewe sienings oor poniekoerante en hulle joernalistieke-praktyke. Hierdie studie het die taalgebruik, diskursiewe praktyke van joernaliste en persepsies van lesers van een Suid-Afrikaanse poniekoerant, Son, ondersoek. Data is ingesamel met behulp van doelgerigte steekproefneming van lesers van Son wat Kaaps praat en joernaliste wat tans vir Son werk. 'n Korpus van Son is ontleed in samehang met die data van die onderhoude. Kritiese Diskoersanalise (KDA) en Taalideologieë is as die teoretiese raamwerk gebruik. KDA poog om die implisiete eksplisiet te maak, hoofsaaklik rakende die implisiete verhouding tussen diskoers, mag en ideologie, terwyl oppervlakbetekenisse uit gedaag word, en niks as vanselfsprekend aanvaar word nie (Wodak, 2014, p. 304). Taalideologieë verwys na oortuigings, gevoelens en konsepsies oor taal wat sosiaal gedeel word en wat taal en sosiale omgewing op ʼn dialektiese manier verbind (Piller 2015, p.4). Deur die gebruik van hierdie twee raamwerke is daar gepoog om oortuigings oor taalgebruik eksplisiet te maak. Die meerderheid van die joernaliste identifiseer met die taalgebruik in Son. Die lesers voel ook verteenwoordig in Son, want hulle vind die taal eenvoudig en maklik om te lees en verteenwoordigend van hulle maniere van praat. Die korpus van Son wys dat Kaaps meestal in die vermaaklikheidsafdelings, die rubrieke, die grappies en die kortverhale gebruik word. Sport en nuus, daarenteen, is meestal in Standaardafrikaans. Die bevindinge verskaf meer bewyse dat poniekoerante ʼn alternatiewe publieke sfeer kan skep en stem kan verskaf aan die wat voorheen nie in die hoofstroom media verteenwoordig is nie (Örnebring & Jönsson, 2004, p. 287). Hierdie verteenwoordiging is egter net beperk tot sekere genres. Soos poniekoerante na die digitale sfeer beweeg is meer navorsing nodig oor hoe hierdie skuif produksiepatrone, diskursiewe praktyke en verbruik daarvan gaan affekteer.
Description
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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