The World Paper Famine and the South African Press, 1938-1955

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Periodical article

Title:	The World Paper Famine and the South African Press, 1938-1955
Author:	Hadland, Adrian
Year:	2005
Periodical:	South African Journal of Economic History
Volume:	20
Issue:	1
Period:	March
Pages:	40-64
Language:	English
Geographic term:	South Africa
Subjects:	newspapers paper industry 1940-1949 1950-1959 Literature, Mass Media and the Press History and Exploration Economics and Trade
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1080/10113430509511178
Abstract:	From the late 1930s the appearance of most of South Africa's newspapers underwent a dramatic transformation. As a result of the world paper shortage all South African newspapers underwent significant cuts in the number of pages they could publish. This study of the world paper famine's effect on the South African press attempts to achieve two central objectives: 1) to illustrate the extent to which economic events, relations and strategies underpin almost every aspect of newspaper production; 2) to indicate how these economic relations served to further concentrate and regulate the industry, binding it in an ever closer relationship to the State. After considering the initial causes and development of the paper famine and how these were accentuated by South Africa's specific circumstances, the article goes on to examine the immediate effects and longer-term implications of the shortage for the political economy of the South African newspaper industry during the period 1938-1955. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]