Conformity in the selected print media content as a threat to democracy: the case of the Shabir Shaik trial
Date
2010-08-31
Authors
Ntuli, Patience Thembeka
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Abstract
It generally appears that headlines, story content, photographs and sources in different
South African newspapers are often the same. This conformity poses a major threat to
democracy as diversity in all facets of the media is important in order to help the public
make informed choices. Using the case of the Schabir Shaik trial, the study investigated
the extent of conformity in the news output of selected newspapers: The Citizen, The
Star, Sowetan and Natal Witness from January 2001 to June 2005. Only selected front
page stories and editorials of the newspapers were studied.
Thematic content analysis, quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore the
subject. The study was predominantly informed by theories of news production which
posit that news is not the actual truth; it is in fact a selective representation of the world.
The notion of objectivity was extensively debated and it was observed that complete
“objectivity” as an ideal is unattainable especially when one considers that news-making
processes are complex and influenced by a number of diverse factors. The study also
argues that sources play an important role in shaping news content because they set
parameters and define terms of reference. It emerged in the results that the sharing of
news and reliance on similar sources across publications breed homogeneity; that most
news is covered in an episodic/dramatic fashion for the purpose of profit and that
objectivity is frequently not practised in newspaper editorials. The study concludes that
media should promote diversity in all facets and strive for balance when covering stories.