Deracialisation,
democracy and development: transformation of the South African media 1994
- 2000.
Paper
prepared for The Political Economy of the Media in Southern Africa Seminar,
24-29 April, 2000. Durban
by
Guy Berger, 28 Feb 2000
Assessing
transformation in South Africa's media after apartheid entails defining the
criteria being looked at, and then applying the analysis to changes in ownership,
staffing, conceptions of the political role of journalism, media content and
audiences. Major changes in media ownership, diversity and density, as well
as in staffing are tracked, and the shifting politics of journalism are touched
upon. With regard to content, a critique is made of the Human Rights Commission's
findings about continuing racism in the media, and an alternative research
strategy is suggested. The slow changes in audiences are noted. The conclusion
is that overall there has been substantial transformation, and that the changes
have been far greater than the continuities. As a result, the media is well
placed to make further contributions to deracialisation, democratisation and
development in South Africa.