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Media in a multi- cultural society: SA’s story

Media in a multi- cultural society: SA’s story. Museum Africa, 19-20 July, 2006 by Guy Berger. Cultural separation & mix. “The Africa of today is not simply the product of assegais and rain queens… … If I am right, therein lies my identity …” Nat Nakasa 1964

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Media in a multi- cultural society: SA’s story

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  1. Mediain amulti-culturalsociety: SA’s story Museum Africa, 19-20 July, 2006 by Guy Berger

  2. Cultural separation & mix “The Africa of today is not simply the product of assegais and rain queens… … If I am right, therein lies my identity…” Nat Nakasa 1964 i.e: there have already been hybrid identities in SA for a long time

  3. What contributes to identity: “My people”are South Africans. Mine is the history of the Great Trek, Ghandi’s passive resistance in Johannesburg, the wars of Ceteswayo and the dawn raids which gave us the treason trial in 1956… All these are South African things. They are a part of me… (Nat Nakasa, Rand Daily Mail June 20, 1964)

  4. Media & Apartheid: FINDINGS OF TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION: The bulk of media -- with some important exceptions -- either expressly promoted Apartheid, or implicitly complied with it, and in both ways contributed to a climate of gross human rights violations. • Tho’ there were some exceptional journalists in the mainstream press, and also a role played by the resistance press.

  5. TRC: overall verdict • Most South African media helped maintain a public climate where gross human rights violations could continue to occur. • Not ultimately surprising, given that the press as a commercial institution was owned by whites, controlled and staffed mainly by whites, catered to a market of white readers, and depended on white advertisers. • Thus apartheid media mainly worked against a democratic and multi-cultural environment.

  6. Change: Apartheid to Democracy Old: Unicultural media – white & bicultural – English : Afrikaans, Plus: black segregated tribal/linguistic media NEW: Since 1994: Media freedom! End privilege, build nation = cultural equity and erasing differences

  7. Broadcast TV: * first 10 years of democracy: English dominance – but SABC now required 80% African languages on two of its three channels; * SABC to get 2 new 100% African language channels; * Recently: some multi-lingualism, subtitling Radio: linguistic divides, but lots English on non-English stations Issue: who is multi-lingual? Issue: a common public sphere?

  8. Print media culture today NEWSPAPERS: • Afrikaans – now covering “two” cultures • isiZulu – growing in KZN • English – lingua franca, even at mass based (tabloid) level. • ONLINE: English, some Afrikaans

  9. Religion and culture • Anti-apartheid movement: Tolerance • Broadcast Advisory body • Christianity pre-dominant • Many branches, no easy dominance for one

  10. Race and culture • HRC – six years ago, enquiry into racism in the media. • Now: media acknowledges identities, without totalising them or fixing them as if outside of history. • There to be meaningful when needed, not there at other points. • Underpinned by other experiential issues: locality, power in workplace, interpellation.

  11. Still a problem • Over decade, % content and experts better, not perfect. • Genderlinks study in 2002: • 19 % of news sources were women, and even worse, black women (who constitute 45 percent of the population) = only 7 percent. • Black men = 27 % of news sources, • White men 32 %. • Small gains when research repeated in 2004.

  12. “Folk” cultures • South Africans vs “makwerekwere”. • SA internally still has diverse practises. • Now legitimate (initiation, cuisine, health, medicine, musical heritages). • Not merging, tho- some cross-over. • Cross-cut with generational commonalities: • Eg. Teenagers finding common ground

  13. Media freedom • SABC is required to build nation • Other media free to pursue own path – eg. Ethnic targeting; even racism (as long as it does not become hate speech, i.e. incitement to harm) • Class issues becoming predominant delineation – in media, and to an extent in society.

  14. Flashpoints & faultlines • Clashes in the society (eg. Race-biased verdicts in court; cartoons); • Exploitation by interest groups; • International issues: eg. Israel-Palestine • Resource constraints: eg. Limited primetimes, underfunding.

  15. Solutions: • Critique & dialogue to counter inequality, segregation, stereotyping. • Training and handbooks are available. • Sanef gives good leadership. • Industry staff profile is changing: makes possible cultural understanding, representation, plus diversity and commonality.

  16. CONCLUSION: • Cultural identity rises and falls, changes. • SA = emerging common experiences and culture. It co-exists also with, and is in part also fused out, of diverse parts; • Sometimes one or the other level predominates in cultural Identity. • Media reflects and contributes to both levels: SA is very dynamic.

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