Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters)

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

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Subject: search.filters.subject.South Africa

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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    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.
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    Exploring How Civic Technologies are Contributing to Governance in Nigeria and South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Zisengwe, Melissa Tsungai; Abrahams, Lucienne; Burke, Mark
    This research paper explores the African civic technology (‘civic tech’) ecosystem, with specific reference to its contribution to governance in Nigeria and South Africa. The research was informed by a qualitative methodology that used a comparative descriptive and explanatory case studies approach. Drawing on the African civic tech database and expert interviews, the study examined the drivers that influence the development of civic tech, its contribution to governance, and approaches to addressing challenges in the civic tech ecosystems in the two case study countries. The paper finds that in both countries, civic tech is driven by many variables, such as the proliferation of digital technologies, failing government systems, and international agendas. However, the foundations of most civic tech organisations are linked to governance issues experienced by both countries. Therefore, civic tech is often a result of the increased demand to strengthen the voice and capacity of citizens to engage and participate in governance issues that affect them directly. The findings suggest that civic tech influences governance in various areas, including indirectly and directly influencing innovation in government departments, opening up data, and leading to more transparency about government activities and governance challenges. The study found that civic tech has significantly transformed how citizens participate in decision-making and engage with the government, accentuating citizens’ voices on issues that affect them. The study concluded that civic tech has emerged as a social accountability mechanism as it plays a fundamental role in creating channels for citizens and other non-governmental actors to participate in governance. However, while civic tech is improving governance, the research concluded that it remains challenging to measure its influence due to how civic tech is constructed, adopted, and used. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the civic tech field to establish and streamline institutional monitoring and evaluation. This would enable the field to combine efforts and create a synergy where civic tech impact measurement is concerned.
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    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.
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    Students’ motivation on learning Portuguese as a Foreign Language Course: A case study on the University of the Witwatersrand and University of Mpumalanga
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-02) Adão, Roberto; Campos, Marta
    Motivation is one of the most significant and determining factors in language learning, therefore it is important to study the different ways in which motivation influences students in their foreign language studies. This dissertation investigates university students’ motivation for learning Portuguese as a foreign language course at two South African universities. This study aimed to identify the principal factors which motivate students to study Portuguese as a foreign language at two universities: along with determining the possible similarities and differences between the students’ sources of motivation for learning Portuguese at each respective university as a foreign language. The study took place at two universities namely, the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and the University of Mpumalanga. Both universities currently offer Portuguese as a language course within their respective Bachelor of Arts degrees. Through the application of a questionnaire and obtaining quantitative data from the student’s responses, in addition to the use of the Likert scale and descriptive statistics (mode, mean and standard deviation), students’ sources of motivation were possible to assess and interpret in a numerical form, as regards their learning of Portuguese with the objective of expanding their proficiency in the Portuguese language.
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    Literary and visual representations of queer ecologies in South Africa’s maritime and terrestrial environments
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-09) Dimond, Harvey Lewis; Hofmeyr, Isabel
    Not Available
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    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.