Accountability and Knowledge dissemination of the National Health Insurance through the Public Service Broadcaster

Abstract

This study is motivated by the conviction that SABC, as a public broadcaster, can make a substantial contribution to citizen education and empowerment by disseminating knowledge and upholding responsibility. This research aims to convey an overview of the planned study on the National Health Insurance (NHI)'s accountability and knowledge dissemination through public service broadcasters (PSBs) in South Africa, with a focus on SABC Radio. The study focuses on two radio stations: SAfm, an English-language station targeting listeners in urban areas, and Phalaphala FM, a Tshivenda radio station targeting listeners in rural Limpopo Province. The study covers how the PSB practices public accountability through a critical examination and analysis of the dissemination of information of the NHI to the citizenry of South Africa over a seven-year period covering the period of public consultation on the NHI White Paper to the NHI Bill stage (2015 to 2022).