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The Role of Broadcast Media in Democratic Transformation: The case of eNCA, SABC and Newsroom Afrika
Lungisani Moyo and Oluyinka O. Osunkunle 5
The South African media has played an important political and social role in the two and a half decades since the end of apartheid. Benefiting from strong Constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and a vibrant civil society, the South African media has contributed to a culture of democratic debate while playing a watchdog role to keep political power to account through investigative reporting into corruption and malfeasance. Despite these positive developments in the emerging democracy, the role of the South African media has also been strongly contested. This paper explored the developments in the broadcasting media in an endeavor to establish the role that the media plays to facilitate the democratic transformation of society and to unpack the challenges that have hindered the effectiveness of the broadcasting media as a vehicle for entrenching democracy in South Africa. The paper used a qualitative methodology and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 30 participants. The participants were selected through the use of purposive sampling. The thematic analysis technique was used in this study with data being coded, categorized and themes developed based on the sentiments of the participants concerning role of the broadcasting media in democratic transformation in South Africa. The paper used the libertarian theory as its analytical tool. The findings of this paper highlighted that broadcast media is playing a crucial role in facilitating democratic transformation in the country. Its role ranges from offering the citizens a platform to air their voices, increasing citizens’ knowledge on how to participate in government processes, informing the citizens of their rights. However, the paper established that political interference, fake news and the general lack of transformation of the media industry are some of the factors hindering the effectiveness of the broadcast media in democratic transformation.
The world has not been the same since the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The disease has affected virtually every facet of the economies and social life and events of striving countries across the globe. Several conspiracy theories have been established on the origin, scope, prevention, management of the pandemic, including links to 5G development. This has led to the creation of an "infodemic" about the pandemic. The objective of the study was to examine people’s perceptions of the link between COVID-19 and the 5G network, interpret their attitude towards the pandemic, and analyse possible ways of managing the infodemic crisis in Nigeria.
The Symbolic interactionism theory was used to examine the constructed meanings attached to the evolving 5G network and the dynamics of rejection, an action influenced by conspiracy theories associating with the 5G operation to the breakout of COVID-19. The study adopted a qualitative method to elicit data from purposively selected participants within FCT-Abuja, Nigeria. In this study, one of the main concepts of interactionism is the belief that people strive for something based on both the significance of events and the implications that arise from the cycle of socialization. As such, the study recommended improved peace journalism, which discourages fear and violence in media reporting at a time of global pandemic-engendered fear. Thus, the fears created by the deaths, lockdown and other effects of the pandemic could be managed through peace journalism.
This paper qualitatively used open-ended questionnaires to explore opinions, from a sample of fifteen experts, on the evolution of digital media in Botswana and how it has impacted the employment of journalists. It explored the polemics of new media and its disruptions to work relations within the media industry. It relied on the theoretic framework of digital technologies as the furtherance of the precarisation of work to analyse the changing nature of work and adaptive strategies of employers and their implications on workers. Further, it assessed the state of job security as well as the challenges of collective bargaining and the freedom to organise occasioned by the changes in work structures in Botswana’s media fraternity. It briefly examined the formation of Botswana Media and Allied Union (BOMAWU) and its efforts of organising workers. This invariably assisted in the evaluation of the unions’ political self-esteem in the era of changes in the newsroom and the sensitivity of news coverage. The paper found that new media has exposed workers in the industry to deplorable labour standards. It concluded that the disorganisation of workers exacerbates labour market atrocities in the industry. It proposed greater union revitalisation to mitigate the effect of workplace disruptions occasioned by the advent of new media.
Among stakeholders, there is general acknowledgement of the creative industry's potential as a significant contributor to the global economy. Although Nigeria has made some strides in contributing its cultural products to the global creative economy, Africa can be said to have contributed a negligible quota. This study explored the existent conceptions of creative industries while examining the nature of Nigeria's creative economy. To achieve contextual relevance, the study conducted a conceptual and empirical review of creative industries, Nigeria's film and music industries. The study concluded that Nigeria's creative economy has immense potential that can be harnessed for national development. Furthermore, stakeholders have to be involved in providing the needed support to facilitate the vitality of the Nigerian creative industries.
This article sought to examine the perception of youth listeners on the use of African languages on Univen FM radio station to spread COVID-19 awareness messages and information. A descriptive research design and qualitative research method were applied to answer the research questions and objectives. The article used the thematic analysis technique to analyse data obtained through telephonic semi-structured interviews. The convenience purposive sampling technique was used to select 10 youth radio listeners based in the Thohoyandou area in the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The article established that most youth inhabitants are active listeners of Univen FM and that the community-based station effectively promotes COVID-19 awareness messages through advertisements, announcements, news bulletins, and breakfast and afternoon shows that make listeners aware of the dangers of the virus and how to protect themselves. The article further discovered that Univen FM uses African languages such as Tshivenda, Sepedi, and Xitsonga to disseminate COVID-19 awareness messages to listeners. The article recommends that Univen FM should make use of every language spoken in the Vhembe District to spread COVID-19 awareness messages.
On 27 April 1994, South Africa’s first democratic election was held. Twenty-two million voted in those elections, and nineteen political parties were part of the elections. The African National Congress won a 62.5 % majority vote, with Dr Nelson Mandela becoming the first African president of the Republic of South Africa. Since then, innovative technology has created more innovative methods of communication. While traditional communication channels are still employed, political parties now use innovative technology in their campaigns. Most of the South African population are young people, and most of them prefer innovative technology to communicate digitally. Social media seamlessly reaches a large audience, and it is also a wonderful way for political parties to engage with their electorate and become aware of their concerns and challenges. This study, therefore, looks at how South African political parties are using various social media sites to position themselves to reach a larger targeted audience. This study used a desktop approach, surveying various political websites and current literature available online. The Uses and Gratification Theory and Two-way Communication model were used to conceptualise this study.
Effective career management is essential for all musicians to succeed in the music industry. Understanding, developing and maintaining effective career management is a vital feature for musicians globally. However, in South Africa, this is not the case. There is a concern about musicians who live and die bankrupt for various reasons, including the lack of knowledge about career management. Many South African musicians are famous and rich at the height of their careers, but experience vicious poverty and struggle to support their families after their careers peak. This study aims to discuss and raise awareness about the importance of career management for South African musicians from a talent-preneur skills perspective. A qualitative content analysis was employed to guide this study, grounded in analysing existing scholarly writings such as studies, book chapters, and theses. A narrative thematic analysis was adopted to develop themes from the findings. The following themes were developed to present the findings of this study: 1. Newspaper reported cases of South African musicians; 2. Talent-preneurial skills; 3. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on South African musicians; 4. Effects of piracy in South African music industry. The results of this study demonstrate that poverty has become a common plight and trend that disturbs South African musicians, and this is partly attributable to the lack of career management. This study affirmed that talent-preneurial skills are essential for musicians to effectively manage their careers.
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