Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37994

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A comparative study of how four selected newspapers framed the coverage of the death of mthokozisi ntumba
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Magomani, Amukelani; Balliah, Dinesh
For years, traditional media such as newspapers have played a pivotal role in circulating news and information for public consumption. South Africa has recently experienced an increase in news on police brutality cases against protesters on various platforms covered by the newspapers. This study analyses the framing of media coverage by Daily Maverick, Daily Sun, Mail & Guardian, and Sowetan newspapers of the pre-and post-trial of the law enforcement officers charged with the killing of Mthokozisi Ntumba. This case was centred on forceful actions by police officials to disperse a crowd during a student protest. Although Ntumba was not amongst the protesting crowds, he was shot and killed by police officers. The study aims to discover the ways in which Ntumba’s case was reported by the four selected newspapers. The nature, aim, objectives and contextual significance of this study dictates that a qualitative research approach be used. The study was underpinned by the framing theory. Qualitative data was collected using the content analysis method, with purposive sampling used to select all textual units that contributed towards answering the study’s research questions. A sample of 83 articles was selected on the basis that the articles reported the news of the killing of Ntumba and the follow up court trial of the police officers. Qualitative framing analysis was used to study the media coverage of the killing of a bystander and police brutality in South Africa. From the study’s findings, it was revealed that different frames were used by the four selected newspapers in the coverage of Ntumba’s case. The frames used by the selected newspapers highlighted the extent to which the issue of police brutalityin the country has led to the death of people and other underlying issues that exist due to police brutality during protests.
Adoption and use of internet of things and the implications for adaptive regulation
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-03) Jarvis, Boipelo; Ntlatlapa, Ntsibane
Internet of Things (IoT) is evolving, developing and finding use in many industries where it is mainly used for automating, controlling, tracking and monitoring of different assets and processes, and also to digitalise and optimise business processes. One of IoT’s main characteristics is the interconnection of physical and virtual objects, the involvement of various stakeholders and the vast amount of data that is collected, communicated, stored and analysed in its ecosystem. IoT is projected to continue on its tremendous growth path for years to come, and to also permeate many more industries. However, IoT has inherent challenges of security and privacy due to its characteristics and therefore requires relevant regulation so as to address the challenges related to it and enable its continued growth, adoption and use. The study explored the adoption and use of IoT in South Africa, looked into security and privacy challenges for IoT and ways to address them, ways in which current regulatory approaches are affecting IoT and how regulation that is relevant to IoT can be developed. The researcher followed a qualitative research approach, collected data from participants through in-depth interviews and employed thematic analysis to discover themes from data that was collected. The study’s findings are categorised according to three themes that emerged from the literature review namely: adoption and use of IoT, security and privacy challenges for IoT and ways to develop adaptive regulation for IoT. The Socio Technical Systems (STS) framework was a theoretical lens that was used to analyse data by mapping the study’s findings against STS components to explore the social and technical aspects of IoT. To define and understand the relationship between the social and technical subsystems of STS, an interaction between the elements of these two subsystems namely technology, tasks, structure and people was done. Under the technical subsystem, the findings brought to light the challenge that interoperability, security and privacy has on the adoption and use of IoT and the activities that enable the adoption and use of IoT. The findings under the social subsystem highlighted regulatory measures that are required to enable the adoption and use of IoT, regulatory ways to address the challenges of security and privacy as well as the need for IoT stakeholders to work collaboratively to encourage the growth, adoption and use of IoT and to address challenges related to it. The interaction of the STS elements identified collaborations and collaborative mechanisms as ways to address the challenges of IoT and develop regulation that is adaptive to its development. Based on the researcher’s analysis IoT requires a collaborative approach to address the challenges that its development, adoption and use are confronted with and to also develop regulation that is relevant and encouraging of its adoption and use.
An assessment on the provision of South African Sign Language interpreting services in the healthcare setting during the Covid-19 pandemic
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Motimele, Dimakatso Martina; Parkins-Maliko, Natasha
The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the communication challenges experiences by Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in various healthcare settings. The mandatory use of masks did not make communication any easier for such people, challenges related to lipreading and the understanding of non-manual features (facial expressions). Furthermore, owing to the shortage of sign language interpreters in South Africa, Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients had to navigate their way around healthcare settings regardless of the extreme communication difficulties experienced. This research assessed the provision of South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreting services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in healthcare settings in the Gauteng province of South Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic. Interviews and an online survey were conducted with Deaf and SASL interpreter respondents to collect data linked to access to healthcare services during the Covid-19 period. Deaf participants expressed the view that the provision of SASL interpreting services in healthcare was inadequate. Deaf participants also indicated that they were unable to book or gain access to an SASL interpreter for medical appointments. This was also the case in emergency situations where a last-minute booking was needed. In addition, a lack of trust in SASL interpreters was manifested by the Deaf participants, owing to the high costs associated with the interpreting services. Moreover, the Deaf participants expressed the view that medical staff tended to have a negative approach to Deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. The recommendations made on the basis of this research are that medical professionals should learn basic sign language and that SASL interpreters should learn medical terminology and the equivalent SASL sign/s to ensure increased accessibility by Deaf and hard-of-hearing people to communication in health care setting.
An investigation into paywalls in the south african online news space
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Crossley, Gaye Tracey; Daniels, Glenda
Journalism should aspire to be a public good, meaning people should ideally have un-excluded and un-rivalrous access to the news. For news to be a public good, it must serve to educate and inform readers and be free from economic and political interference. However, journalism cannot be a public good if it is not financially viable. One way South African news organisations have sought to create financial viability and sustainability is through the implementation of paywalls. However, subscription services like paywalls pose a risk to journalism being a public good. South Africa’s unequal society, along with the digital divide, are major inhibitors to people being able to access news online. Paywalls further exacerbate this issue of access. This research aims to investigate paywalls in the South African online news space, within the context of journalism serving as a public good. In doing so, the research considered the digital divide, digital disruption of the newsroom, sustainability of the newsroom, and the positive and negative contributions of paywalls to South African online news. This qualitative research was conducted through a series of structured interviews with two of South Africa’s media houses, Media24 and Arena Holdings, which had both implemented paywalls for their online news sites. These case studies were then juxtaposed against Daily Maverick, which has kept its news free for all readers, but relies on a number of alternative funding models, including a membership model.
Analysing misinformation coverage by three newspapers during the 2nd phase of covid-19 vaccination in south africa: the daily sun, the daily maverick, and the sowetan from 7 may to 7 july 2021
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Semenya, Anna Moshala ; Kruger, Franz
As South Africa geared up for a mass vaccination programme to inoculate its citizens, with the public eager to return to normalcy after enduring varying degrees of lockdowns for over a year, the enigma surrounding the virus provided fertile ground for anti-vaccine groups to propagate misinformation consisting of misconceptions, myths, fake news and rumours. The mainstream media, wielding significant power and influence, played a pivotal role in disseminating information to enhance public health awareness during the pandemic before and after vaccines became available. This paper endeavours to assess how three national newspapers addressed the prevalent misinformation at the time. It does so by reviewing articles published 10 days before the phase two vaccination campaign commenced up to two months after the aforementioned commencement. The results indicate that one newspaper attempted to address the misinformation explicitly, another did so through subtle discourse whilst the last one remained resolute in its pro-vaccine stance and did not entertain the misinformation.
An analysis of coverage of gender-based violence, sourcing patterns and representation of victims in Sowetan, January-March 2008
(2014-10-22) Ndlovu, Sikhonzile
Despite its pervasiveness, gender-based violence is one of the least talked about violations of women’s rights as most of it takes place within the private domain and is never reported (Gender Links 2002). Gender-based violence is mostly common at family and community level and mostly affects women (Omarjee, 2006). Family attitudes and pressures ensure that this remains hidden from the outside world (IPS, 2009). People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA South Africa) estimates that only one in nine gender-based violence incidences are reported. Violence against women continues partly because women do not seem to acknowledge violence perpetrated against them and are unlikely to seek help when it occurs (Rasool, 2002). The Noord taxi rank ‘miniskirt’ incident, as it came to be known, exposed the sad realities of gender-based violence in contemporary South Africa. In February 2008, a 25 year old woman was sexually harassed for wearing a miniskirt at the Noord Taxi Rank. This incident, described by Nyar (2008) as degrading and shocking, is part of the fabric of South African life. The way that media represents gender-based violence has a significant role to play in curbing this social ill. Sadly, media often emphasise the need for women to be extra vigilant when moving around at night. This in essence is saying that women should take responsibility for the fact that they may be attacked at any time (Gqola, 1997). This scrutiny is also reflected in the way that media have also questioned the morals of victims of gender-based violence especially rape (Carter and Weaver, 2003). This study analysed Sowetan’s daily media output for the months of January to March 2008 to establish patterns in coverage of gender-based violence, sourcing and representation of victims. Key words Gender, gender-based violence, victims, feminist theory, patriarchy, power, media, representation, sourcing
Audio-visual speech perception amongst bilingual speakers
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-03) Seedat, Ammaara; Ramona, Kunene Nicolas
Why does a face articulating the syllable [ga] presented alongside an auditory /ba/ syllable result in a perceived /da/ syllable/? Language is more than words, and the human face has shown enormous communicatory significance as a mode of nonverbal communication. Multisensory integration is used in audio-visual speech perception when auditory and visual information are integrated at the same time. This integration, however, can be viewed as an involuntary process that occurs automatically. The audio-visual benefit effect occurs when auditory and visual information is synchronized, this is when the visual cue is congruent with its auditory counterpart. Literature on audio-visual speech perception, states that the magnitude of visual influences on audio-visual speech perception varies not only across languages but also across developmental stages. The reasons underlying cross-linguistic and developmental differences in audio-visual speech perception however remain unclear. With bilingualism becoming the norm rather than the exception around the world (Grosjean & Byers-Heinlein, 2018), strong research foundations for spoken-word comprehension in bilinguals have been carried out. These foundations have been grounded in classical frameworks from monolinguals and formalised in models such as the Bilingual Model of Lexical Access (BIMOLA) (Léwy, 2008) and the Bilingual Language Interaction Network for Comprehension of Speech (BLINCS) (Shook & Marian, 2013). Bilinguals may experience increased audio-visual integration when using their less dominant language because less familiarity with a language creates a greater reliance on the visual channel to make sense of auditory input. This study will therefore examine the extent to which young adult bilinguals benefit from audio-visual speech. We examine how different listening conditions affect how L2 bilinguals perceive audio-visual speech. Participants in this study were L1 English speakers learning L2 isiZulu between 17-29 years of age. Each participant was introduced to four different conditions. Namely, an audio only condition, a visual-only condition an and audio-visual condition and an incongruent condition. In the audio-only condition, the stimuli were only auditory, in the visual-only condition the stimuli were perceived without an auditory stimulus. The audio-visual stimulus was made up of both an auditory and visual stimulus whilst the incongruent stimulus was created through dubbing the audio of one word over the visual of another word. The results of the study highlighted the importance of audio-visual speech in late L2 bilingual acquisition. The differences in the phonetics and phonology of language systems might play an important role in how late L2 bilinguals perceive language in different conditions.
Beneath These Saline Stars
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Wilhelm-Solomon, Matthew
A plague of drowning strikes an unnamed lakeside city. Hospitals are flooded with patients – primarily Black youth – who have died on soccer pitches, in their homes, and on the streets. A disgraced and divorced white journalist, now working on the arts pages of his newspaper, named Lüderitz Edward Leveza writes a profile on a performing artist and medical doctor, Isiwa: they are tattooed with black lightning, and walk as if on the point of falling. Isiwa is searching for the childhood song stolen from them when police arrested their mother—an activist against the former dictatorship—as a child. They provide Lüderitz information on deaths at the hospital where they work. Lüderitz’s investigation of the drownings takes him deeper into his past, his documentation of torture during the dictatorship, and his entanglement with Isiwa’s life. Together, Isiwa and Lüderitz see inexplicable visions in the city’s sky: men-of-war pass over his apartment block, a shoal of sardines weaves through the tower blocks, and whales arrive to mourn the dead. Isiwa leads an occupation of the city’s Freedom Square in protest against the deaths, but they are increasingly isolated and then arrested. Lüderitz is removed from his job and is mainly alone, punctured by Isiwa’s absence and left longing for them. During this time, he helps a young journalist called Zé in his investigations into the protests and drownings, which lead to a terrifying outcome. Beneath These Saline Stars is an aesthetic reworking of post-colonial journalistic realism and surrealism. It explores moral complicity with violence, loss and queer desire, rebellion and mourning, and the search for healing in a time of concatenated ecological, public health, and political catastrophes. A reflective essay follows the novel, in the form of crônicas – a Brazilian style of fragmentary essay. These explore diverse themes, both theoretical and personal, related to the context, influences and resonances of the novel: transatlantic literature and music; magical realism; créolité and postcolonial thought; Candomblé and climate change. The juxtaposition of these fragments aims to illuminate the personal, literary and political tides from which Beneath these Saline Stars took form.
Bolemogi jwa diponagalo tsa ditumisapuo mo tokafatsong ya dipuiso tsa Setswana
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Pule, Violet Maphefo Sefolaro
This study aimed at addressing the impact of prosodic features in reading because of its contribution to meaning in language - Setswana. The study is responding to the literacy report by Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) of 2016 which reported that more than 80% of grade 4 learners who were tested in an African language could not read for meaning. Reading in African languages appears to be problematic in the Intermediate Phase specially to comprehend the meaning intend. The main aim of the study was to investigate the impact of prosodic features in comprehending Setswana readings. The research study noted the lack of prosodic feature awareness in enhancing and supporting learner’s literacy and culture of reading, because of its valuable significance when dealing with reading fluency with regards to speech sounds, tonology and syllable. This research was based on the semiotic theoretical framework, as it is concerned with how signs are used for interpretation. The focus of the study is on the Intermediate Phase of eight schools where Setswana is taught as a Home and/or as a First Additional Language. The mixed method approaches (qualitative and quantitative methods) were used to collect and analysed data. Random sampling was used to select participants. Descriptive method was used to analysed both methods. The study is of the idea that new ways of stressing prosodic markings (such as tones, accent, stress, and rhythm) must be accorded special attention in the education system in South Africa in such a manner that learners are able to extract meaning and comprehend what they read. The study found that there is a lot of confusion when words are not marked, as learners cannot know which meaning is intended. As mentioned, the problem in reading Setswana books is not in reading, but in comprehending. The study of prosodic features came as a best study that plays an important role in extracting the meaning from words, reading fluency and enhancing reading culture. Comprehending is a very important elements in the four skills that are focused on in the teaching of reading, and it has only been listed as sub-skill, not as a main skill that needed to be acquired throughout because no skill will be successfully achieved without the skill of comprehending.
Bridging the Gap: Achieving Professionalization Through Memes
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Greaves, Megan; Parkins-Maliko, Natasha
‘Bridging the Gap: Achieving Professionalization through Memes’ focuses on how social media is a useful marketing tool that South African Sign Language interpreters can use to promote the professionalism of interpreting. Up to now, there has been little focus on the ways South African Sign Language interpreters can use social media memes/behaviours to promote and advocate for the mainstream recognition of interpreters. This research bridges that gap by conducting a discourse analysis of the various hashtags South African Sign Language interpreters can employ to promote their personal brands as well as the brands of interpreting agencies. It also looks at the various social media strategies individuals and companies use to reach wider audiences. Although social media is a useful tool to promote professionalism, it does not come without its risks and ethical concerns. These risks are discussed in depth, and it is imperative that interpreters keep these risks in mind when using social media.
Challenges faced by court interpreters while interpreting for children in South African courts
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Chikele, Heather Mikateko; Maliko, Natasha Parkins; Dladla, Celimpilo P.
The study investigated the challenges faced by court interpreters in South Africa when working with child witnesses within the legal system. The objectives of the study included investigating interpreter challenges, identifying their role in safeguarding children’s well-being and rights, and evaluating the effectiveness of interpreter training. The country’s linguistic diversity, characterized by 12 official languages and distinct cultural distinctions, adds layers of complexity for interpreters (Powell, et al., 2017). The problems encountered during the process includes linguistic barriers, encompassing the clear conveyance of child testimonies, interpretation of child-friendly legal terminology, and ensuring the child’s understanding of legal proceedings. The study recognized the involved interplay of language, culture and age, which highlights the need for interpreters to address the emotional state, comprehension level, and communication capacities of child witnesses. To tackle these challenges, the study highlighted the crucial requirement for specialized training and support for court interpreters handling cases involving children in South African courts (Moeketsi & Wallmach, 2005). This involved cultivating a sophisticated understanding of child psychology, cultural sensitivity, and legal terminology to effectively bridge communication gaps (Jianqing, 2008). By doing so, the study contended that South Africa could strengthen its commitment to safeguarding children’s rights and welfare within the legal system, ultimately ensuring equitable access to justice for all residents. The study utilized a quantitative research methodology, utilising a structured questionnaire distributed through Google Forms. The questionnaire was designed to gather insights from court interpreters about their experiences and challenges. The questions were crafted to elicit detailed responses on topics such as the impact of the child’s age on interpretation, linguistic and cultural challenges, and training and qualifications of court interpreters. The research focused on obtaining valuable information directly from court interpreters through the survey instrument, so as to understand their perspectives in a more streamlined manner (Cheung, 2014).
Compassion, Ethics, and AI in Literary Works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, Marge Piercy and Ted Chiang
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Silber, Rachel Rose; Titlestad, Michael
This dissertation considers the literary presentation of empathy and compassion in AI-human relations and the contingent ethical implications. It critically examines how four authors, Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, Marge Piercy, and Ted Chiang, imagine AI and robots, not as dystopian symbols of technological menace, but as entities capable of empathetic connections with humans. Contrasting traditional narratives that focus on the dangers of AI, this study highlights a shift towards a nuanced representation where AI exhibits characteristics of emotional responsiveness and compassion. Using a posthumanist theoretical framework, the paper explores the ethical implications of these portrayals, challenging the boundaries of moral responsibility towards artificial beings. This approach not only offers a fresh perspective on AI in literature but also provokes a re-evaluation of our societal and ethical norms in the age of advanced technology. This study aims to contribute to a revision of our understanding of humanity and empathy in the context of our evolving relationship with AI.
Comrades on the Road: Stories from South Africa’s Iconic Race
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Brown, Ryan Lenora
Consumption, Femininity and the City in the Real Housewives of Johannesburg: A Content Analysis of a Franchise
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Hellberg, Tessa; Iqani, Mehita
The following study explores how consumption, femininity and theorizations of the city are presented to the audience in The Real Housewives of Johannesburg. While the Real Housewives franchise is a global text with numerous iterations in a range of countries, The Real Housewives of Johannesburg is the first South African (and African) version of the programme. The study begins with an outline of the ways in which the city is represented, before moving to define the ‘spirit’ of Johannesburg. As will be demonstrated through the findings of a quantitative content analysis, this is inherently tied to automobility. By way of a subsequent textual analysis, challenges to automobility are also discussed, along with an analysis of luxury consumption in Johannesburg, and the ways in which it is racialized. This research then considers how the postfeminist undertones for which the Real Housewives is known translate into a South African context. Issues like sexual respectability are explored in-depth, as is the concept of being the ‘perfect’ hostess. The thesis concludes with a note concerning how The Real Housewives of Johannesburg highlight local South African cultures through glocalization of a global media text.
Consumption, Waste and the Middle-Class Mindset: A Qualitative Exploration of Gendered Attitudes and Beliefs in South African Suburbs
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-10) Borralho, Carina De Freitas; Iqani, Mehita
This dissertation explores the complicated relationship between South Africa’s growing middle class, and their patterns around consumption and waste. Crucially, it identifies who the middle class hold responsible for consumerism and waste management. It also looks at these ideas through the lens of gender to uncover variations in the way different genders perceive and approach consumption and waste. A qualitative approach was used (using interviews, waste diaries, and a survey). Preliminary findings indicate that middle-class white South African women tend to engage in conspicuous consumption, impacting their waste generation. However, women's family-oriented consumption also influences their purchasing and waste habits. Surprisingly, participants viewed women favourably in terms of consumption and waste, despite waste-diary evidence to the contrary. This research contributes valuable insight into consumption and waste as social, cultural, racial, and gendered matters – instead of purely environmental ones. Ultimately, it shows that gender, race and socio-economic class play a role in how much an individual consumes and wastes, and highlights the need for increased education around these topics in South Africa.
Contested Subjectivities in Textual and Visual Representations of Jacob Zuma
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Makupula, Siwongiwe Chumani; Musila, Grace A.
This MA research report studies visual, textual and musical portrayals of former South African president, Jacob Zuma. The study was undertaken through an analysis of material categorised into three genres: biography, music, and visual culture. In the category of biography, I looked at Jeremy Gordin’s Zuma: A Biography (2006) and Redi Tlhabi’s Khwezi: The Remarkable Story of Fezekile Ntsukela Kuzwayo (2017). I was particularly interested in the ways Zuma’s public rape trial is presented as an obstacle in Gordin’s Zuma and as a centripetal force in Tlhabi’s Khwezi. From this, I demonstrated the ways these representations of Zuma map gender constructions in South African politics. With music, I was interested in the ways the former president uses struggle songs to construct an image of victimhood while reminding the public about his personal sacrifices in South Africa’s armed struggle I further looked at the ways maskandi music, through ethnonationalist logics, endorsed a “militant” Zuma. Lastly, I looked at Zuma as a heroic figure in amapiano and the ways that communicates Black exigencies in peri-urban South Africa. In the last category, visual culture, I looked at the slipperiness of parody in a country overdetermined by a history of racial tension. I explore the strengths of the portraits and where they offer poignant criticism of the former president. Three of the four portraits are inspired by the predatory sexuality covered in the first chapter while one, “Umshini Wam” is inspired by opportunist and self-serving practices of Zulu culture explored in the chapter on music. I demonstrate that even with these conditions, the erect Black penis is inadvertently harmful. As this should suggest, the three chapters outline three different paradigms to conflicts of subjectivity in post-apartheid South Africa. The first chapter takes a gender studies approach to map violent masculinity performances while trying to locate the place of women in these spectacular displays of [ethno] nationalism. The second chapter, where we study visual portrayals, focuses on class and race as the guiding categories of analysis. We argue that with South Africa’s complicated and violent colonial then apartheid history, racialized exchanges are inevitably charged with a range of discourses. This chapter argues that the “rainbow-nation” narrative prevents South Africans from meaningful engagement with histories of racial and economic formations and this lack manifests itself in negative social exchanges that are inadvertently harmful and potentially retraumatizing. In the final chapter, our guiding paradigm is ethno-cultural codes of social organizing. These guiding or dominant paradigms do not exist 6 exclusively as is evident in the final chapter where gender is an operative category in tandem with ethnic and class subjectivities. As such, this report argues that these categories infuse each other and manifest as complicated mixtures in all three genres studied.
Dante: Traces of the Prophetic
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-06) Mfenyana, Deneo Thabisa; Houliston, Victor
The purpose of this project is the scrutiny of the vocational claims that Dante makes throughout his Commedia. Engaging the prophet-poet dichotomy through gradations of authorial authority, I place Dante within many vocations from prophet to poet, including mystic, philosopher and theologian, settling ultimately on Dante as a sort of seer, one who communicates parables as The Christ is known to do, but, making it expressly clear that his theological inaccuracies place him beneath biblical prophets in authority. The conscious strategies that Dante employs to secure auctoritas for his poem such as employing the biblical mystical senses, and resting on the shoulders of Virgil his philosophical and poetic auctor will be examined, showing intent in Dante to induce suspension of disbelief in his readers pertaining his vocational claims.
Digital media technologies and the contributions they make to the sustainability of community radio stations – The example of Izwi LoMzansi FM
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Dube, Sakhile; Krüger, Franz
This study investigates the impact of digital media technologies, specifically mobile applications, and social media, on the sustainability of community radio stations. It places particular emphasis on three facets of sustainability: social, institutional, and financial, using Izwi LoMzansi FM as the case of the study. Community radio stations encounter significant sustainability hurdles, such as suboptimal programming and financial constraints, which hinder their ability to fulfil their democratic roles. While digital media technologies are revolutionising the community broadcasting scene in South Africa, local radio stations have been slow to adjust. This highlights the pressing need for these stations to attain economic self-reliance to maintain autonomy and interact effectively with advertising sectors. The research findings reveal that digital media technologies have the potential to contribute to the sustainability of Izwi LoMzansi FM, albeit with modest impacts in terms of social and institutional sustainability, and relatively limited effects on financial sustainability. Despite progress in leveraging digital media tools to enhance sustainability, the station faces persistent challenges, including high personnel turnover, a lack of specialised expertise in digital media technologies, the necessity for dedicated leadership to drive digital revenue, and the imperative to address the digital divide in terms of access and usage.
Exploring cyber misogyny and women journalists’ work and practice in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Nyamweda, Tarisai L.; Daniels, Glenda
Women journalists are increasingly facing cyber misogyny. However, there is a paucity of research and evidence, particularly in the global South, on this worrying phenomenon. This research study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on cyber misogyny and its effect on women journalists’ practice through documenting their experiences of cyber misogyny and how it affects journalism work and practice as well as contribute to new insights on recommendations to deal with the issue. It uses in depth interviews with selected media development and feminist organisations to understand the phenomenon of cyber misogyny as it relates to women journalists who have encountered cyber misogyny, to collect information to inform this study. Data collected has been augmented by content analysis of selected X posts generated by journalists and the responses from audiences on the selected X posts. The data collected from the in-depth interviews was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The research is grounded on feminist theory, the concept of the role of the media in democracy and hegemonic masculinity, and uses the concept of journalistic routines as a lens through which to examine the effects of cyber misogyny on journalism practice.
Exploring factors leading to journalists leaving the profession in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Musi, Mampholodi Glorious; Sithole, Enock
This research looks into factors that lead journalists in South Africa to leave the profession to pursue other careers. Some journalists who have been bringing news to South Africans have been seen taking on jobs such as spokespersons and other roles in government and the private sector. This adds to the loss of skills newsrooms suffer due to the widespread retrenchments in the sector. A qualitative research method was used to gather data from 20 former print and broadcast journalists across South Africa, who shared their experiences in in-depth semi- structured interviews. The interviews were conducted over Zoom video link with journalists who left the profession between 2018 and 2023. This period covers the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been a catalyst for some of the changes in the media landscape and the period post-pandemic. Using Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, this study reveals that the lack of financial resources in many media houses has created a toxic mix that is pushing journalists out of the jobs they love, mainly because of poor salaries, added work responsibilities that are not matched with compensation, job insecurity, a toxic work environment, poor work-life balance, and unethical management. In general, the former journalists still love journalism but are moving away from the working conditions they were subjected to. Most journalists who have left the profession have more than 10 years of experience in the field. They take with them the skills and institutional memory built over the years – much to the detriment of the society they serve. Many say they are using the skills they have gathered in journalism to build new careers in the private sector corporate communications field and government, while others are running their businesses.