Media, Democracy and Transformation



	Media, Democracy and Transformation Editor: William M. Gumede, Visiting Research Fellow, Graduate School of Public & Development Management (P&DM), Witwatersrand University; and Doctoral Candidate, London School of Economics Background Democracy, reduced to its most basic, is about citizens right to choose the government, about the ordinary people have to participate in society's decision-making processes. The quality of citizen's participation would be greatly enhanced if they are armed with the necessary information and have access to contesting opinions, viewpoints and ideas that will enable them to make up their own minds about their preferences. In shorthand, an informed public makes for a healthy democracy. In South Africa, 10 years into democracy, the country's media enjoy more freedom now than any other period in its history. But, has the standard and quality of journalism equally improved? Moreover, South Africa's media, like all other institutions face the challenge to 'transform', to adapt to the country's new democratic ethos. At the same time, there is no consensus over what transformation means. This media book will attempt to answer the question, by inviting key journalists and media academics to reflect in essays between 2500 and 6000 words long the state of the media 10 years into democracy. Contributors Guy Berger (Head of Journalism, Rhodes University): The Aftermath of the Hefer Commission and Quoting Sources. Charlene Smith (Journalist, author Nelson Mandela biography): A critical look at the Transformation at the SABC Edwin Naidu (Former Editor, The Teacher): A critical assessment of transformation at e.tv Tawana Kupe (Head, School of Languages and Literature, Witwatersrand University): Media, Democracy and Transformation lessons from the region Kathu Mamaila (Deputy Editor, City Press and former President, Media Workers Association of South Africa): The decline of South Africa's media trade unions Clive Emdon (Former Director, Media and Diversity Trust): Media training that will meet the demands of building a democracy Franz Kruger (Lecturer, Wits University Journalism School): What about journalism ethics? Jyoti Mistry (Head, Film Studies, Witwatersrand University): The state of filmmaking Alison Tilley (Head, Open Democracy Centre): Using the Open Democracy Act Ryland Fisher (Former Editor, The Cape Times and Head, Journalism School, Peninsula Technikon): Are editors the problem? Graeme Addison (Former Head, Durban Technikon Journalism School): The Media, Democracy and the Internet Jane Duncan (Head, Freedom of Expression Institute): The State of Freedom of Expression William Bird (Director, Media Monitoring Project): Content Analysis: A snap survey of gender, race and issues covered in the media over the past 10 years. Has the issues changed?. Lynette Steenveld (Senior Lecturer, Media Studies, Rhodes University): Transformation in the Media Sean Jacobs (Post-doctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University): Assessing the media's contribution to Democracy Nixon Kariithu (Head, Media Studies, Witwatersrand University): What's wrong with economic journalism? Richard Delate (Editor, UN AidsJournal): Critique of the media's coverage of HIV/Aids Colleen Morna Lowe (Director, Gender Links): Gender and the Media Mashilo Boloka (Former Researcher, Media Institute of Southern Africa): Giving the people access: the challenge of community newspapers Console Tleane (Head, Community Media Research Institute): Giving the people access: the challenge of community radio stations Karen Williams (Lecturer, Institute for the Advancement of Journalism): Race and the Media Christina Stucky (Former Visiting Press Fellow, Wolfson College, Cambridge University): Diversity and the Media: Lessons from elsewhere. Claudia Braude (Former researcher, Human Rights Commission Report into Racism in the Media): What went wrong? Looking back at the HRC Report into Racism in the Media Heather Ford (Former Benetech-funded Fellow at the Reuters Digital Vision Program, Stanford University) Can the Internet be a democratic tool? Chris Armstrong (Associate, Link Centre, Witwatersrand University) and Richard Collins (Professor of Media Studies and Head Sociology, Open University, UK): Digital dilemmas for South African television Peter Fourie (Head, School of Communications, University of South Africa): Comparative examples of public service broadcasting regimes Les Tilley (Big Media): A Breakdown of Media Ownership in South Africa Raymond Louw (Editor, Southern Africa Report): The increasing tabloidisation of South Africa's print media Ylva Rodny (School of Oriental and African Studies, London University): Development journalism and democracy William M. Gumede (London School of Economics): Introduction and Conclusion