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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:News broadcasting on South African community radio: in search of new public spheres
Author:Krüger, FranzISNI
Year:2011
Periodical:Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies (ISSN 0256-0054)
Volume:32
Issue:3
Pages:61-79
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:journalism
community radio
External link:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02560054.2011.621299
Abstract:The South African community station movement, consisting now of around 100 such stations, situates itself explicitly in the international tradition of alternative, grassroots and (in some cases) radical media. The stations aspire - and are mandated to - cater for poor and marginalized communities, often left out of the information mainstream. Created as part of the democratization process of the mid-1990s, the establishment of the sector represents a conscious attempt to broaden the Habermasian public sphere in South Africa, to improve opportunities for marginalized communities to participate in public discussion, and to build local identities in a range of ways. This article describes the way these stations are meeting their mandate in one area, news broadcasting, where they set out to cover events of particular interest to their communities. It presents a detailed analysis of the extent to which their news bulletins cover local stories, are generated by the stations themselves and use audio material. It also looks at staffing and resourcing, organizational challenges and values. On the basis of empirical research conducted at some 13 radio stations in and around Johannesburg, using methods that include content analysis, interview and observation, the findings indicate that community stations are generally failing to meet their mandate in the critical area of providing original, local news. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]
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