Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The print media, especially newspapers, play an important role in providing information in any society. In the rural communities of South Africa, information available to the people is scanty. Growth of a newspaper is necessary if a newspaper is to fulfil its duties. The Zoutpansberger and Mirror are two of the few local newspapers that circulate in the Far North Region of the Northern Province. The Zoutpansberger, which started in 1985, has experienced negative growth in the various departments of the newspaper, while the Mirror, which started in September 1990, has experienced slow growth. Several factors have been responsible for this. Therefore, there was a need to examine and compare the factors that have affected the growth/development of the newspapers over ten years. The aims and objectives of the study are to examine and compare the factors that affect the growth and development of the Zoutpansberger and Mirror, give suggestions to facilitate future growth and the best ways of utilising the available resources. A literature survey was carried out to get the perspectives of other researchers. Data was collected after conducting personal interviews, using the interview schedule. It was analysed and interpreted with the use of graphs and charts. The findings reveal that economic, social, cultural and geographical factors affect the growth of the newspaper. A few recommendations have been given to highlight ways in which the paper can make full use of the available resources. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die drukmedia, in die besonder koerante, speel 'n belangrike rol in die oordrag van inligting in enige samelewing. In die plattelandse gemeenskappe van Suid-Afrika is die beskikbare inligting karig. Vir 'n koerant om sy pligte na te kom, is dit nodig dat die koerant groei. Die Zoutpansberger en Mirror is twee van die plaaslike koerante in die Verre Noorde-streek van die Noordelike Provinsie. Die Zoutpansberger, gestig in 1985, het negatiewe groei In verskeie afdelings ondervind, terwyl die Mirror, gestig in September 1990, stadige groei ondervind het. Verskeie faktore is hiervoor verantwoordelik. Daar was daarom 'n behoefte om die faktore te ondersoek wat die groei van die koerante oor 'n tydperk van tien jaar beïnvloed het. Die doel van die studie is om die faktore wat die groei en ontwikkeling van die Zoutpansberger en die Mirror geraak het, te ondersoek en te vergelyk en om voorstelle te gee wat toekomstige groei en optimale benutting van beskikbare bronne kan bewerkstellig. 'n Literatuurstudie is gedoen om die perspektiewe van ander navorsers te betrek. Data is ingesamel nadat persoonlike onderhoude gedoen is met behulp van die onderhoudskedule. Dit is geanaliseer en geïnterpreteer met behulp van grafika en kaarte. Die bevindinge bring aan die lig dat ekonomiese, maatskaplike, kulturele en geografiese faktore die groei van die koerant beïnvloed. Enkele voorstelle is gemaak om moontlike maniere te belig waarop die koerant die beskikbare bronne ten volle kan benut.

Thesis (MPhil)-- Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Pornography in South Africa has only been legal for a mere 16 years, but is preceded by a 126-year history of inutile South African government attempts to suppress and curb it at its borders. To date, pornography as a research field has been largely overlooked by South African researchers, who have either mostly opted to choose fields that are socially more acceptable, or assumed that pornography was not present in the country before the 1980s and 1990s. This research, however, prefers to differ. The study investigates a minute part of a broader scope of pornography history in South Africa, by studying what international and domestic pornographic magazines were first seized and thereafter banned in the country between 1939 and 1989. By theoretically implementing an authoritative theoretical framework, the Annales’s functional structural approach, and applying the historical methodology to unearth unobtrusive historical data, the study compiles a narrative of events that ties a 50-year history of the pornographic magazine in South Africa together. The study eventually identifies 1 033 individual volumes, editions and issues of various pornographic magazine genres, including, among others, pulp and pin-up, naturist and nudist, soft-core, hard-core, male and female homosexual, bisexual, bondage, Asian, female impersonation and biker magazines, of which some, of course, are local South African pornographic magazines. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Pornografie is nog net 16 jaar wettig in Suid-Afrika en word voorafgegaan deur ’n geskiedenis van 126 jaar se sensuur wat deur die regering afgekondig is om pornografie buite die land se grense te hou. Tot op hede is pornografie as ’n navorsingsveld deur Suid-Afrikaanse navorsers oorgesien omdat hulle óf studies aanpak wat sosiaal meer aanvaarbaar is, óf aanneem dat daar voor die 1980’s en 1990’s geen pornografie in die land was nie. In dié verband wil hierdie studie met dié aannames verskil. Die navorsing ondersoek ’n klein deeltjie van ’n groter geskiedenis van pornografie in Suid-Afrika deur te kyk na watter buitelandse en binnelandse pornografiese tydskrifte tussen 1939 en 1989 in die land gevind en kort daarna verban is. Teoreties is die outoritêre en die Annales se funksionalisties-strukturalistiese raamwerk ingespan, en die historiese metodologie is gebruik om historiese data na te vors om ’n narratief saam te stel wat 50 jaar se pornografiese tydskrifte in Suid-Afrika saamsnoer. Die studie identifiseer uiteindelik 1 033 uitgawes van verskeie porno-grafiese tydskrifte, wat, onder meer, pulp- en prikkelpop-, nudistiese, sagte, harde, manlike en vroulike homoseksuele, biseksuele, knegskap-, Asiër-, fopdosser- en motorfietstydskrifte insluit; sommige van dié genres is, natuurlik, ook plaaslik in Suid-Afrika gepubliseer.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a feminist investigation of the reporting on the female politicians in the Mail & Guardian using the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development media requirements on content as the yardstick. The Protocol is a regional policy adopted in 2008 by regional governments aimed at achieving gender equity in key sectors by 2015. The Protocol is a regional instrument set up to assist in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The study investigated whether the Protocol’s media requirements were being observed by the Mail&Guardian. The media’s role of providing information can assist the MDGs to be met. These requirements encourage the media in the region to reach gender parity in the use of news sources and writing of news reports that help to reduce gender-based violence and the portrayal of women that is not stereotypic and oppressive. The themes of the study, which were “gender-based violence”, “gender oppression” and “stereotypes against women” were influenced by these requirements. Gender-based violence is a major impediment to development in Africa because of the heavy financial burden it puts on governments and communities to treat victims and offer them shelter and counselling. Gender-based violence affects women’s full productivity in society because it results in death or victims remaining absent from work while they seek treatment. Stereotypes and gender oppression are viewed as dangerous because not only do they deny younger generations role models but they perpetuate the insubordination of women in society. The study linked the themes to female parliamentarians because being legislators and policy makers, they have a strategic and critical role to play in helping to achieve gender equity. There is a perception that female politicians offer different perspectives to issues. The media can be a vehicle through which these female politicians can express their opinions. This is because the media is supposed to offer freedom of expression to all its citizens regardless of gender. In order to examine if the female ideology had a place in the Mail & Guardian a feminist theoretical approach was used. The study employed a triangulation approach in which both the qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used. The quantitative method was employed to a small extent to quantify the coverage of female politicians. Triangulation in data collection entailed using both the content analysis and in-depth interviews. Findings of the study showed a violation of the Protocol’s media requirements. News reporting about female politicians centred on scandals and controversies and journalists and editors were ignorant of the Protocol’s media requirements. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie was ’n feministiese ondersoek na die Mail & Guardian se verslaggewing oor vrouepolitici. Dis gedoen met die interregeringsorganisasie, die Suider-Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap (SAOG), se Protokol oor Geslag en Ontwikkeling as maatstaf. Die Protokol is ’n beleid wat in 2008 deur die owerhede van die SAOG-lidlande van stapel gestuur is, met die oog op geslagsgelykheid in sleutelsektore teen 2015. Dit dien as instrument en hulpmiddel in die nastreef van bogenoemde. Die studie stel ondersoek in na die handhawing, al dan nie, van die Protokol se mediavereistes deur die Mail & Guardian. Die media se rol as verskaffer van inligting kan die strewe hierna bevorder. Die vereistes moedig die media in die onderskeie streke aan om geslagsgelykheid toe te pas wat betref die gebruik van nuusbronne, die skep van nuusberigte wat bydra tot die vermindering van geslagsgebaseerde geweld en die uitbeeld van vroue wat wegskram van stereotipering en onderdrukking. Die temas van die studie-"geslagsgebaseerde geweld", "geslagsonderdrukking" en “stereotipering van vroue" is gevolglik deur die Protokol se vereistes beïnvloed. Geslagsgebaseerde geweld is ’n wesenlike struikelblok in die pad van ontwikkeling in Afrika, deels weens die swaar finansiële las wat dit plaas op gemeenskaplike en regeringsvlak. Só moet slagoffers dikwels behandeling, skuiling en berading ontvang. Dit het ook ’n besliste impak op vroue se produktiwiteit in die breër samelewing, aangesien slagoffers van geslagsgebaseerde geweld in sommige gevalle afwesig is uit die werksomgewing om behandel te word of-in meer ernstige gevalle-sterf. Stereotipering en onderdrukking word as uiters gevaarlik beskou, aangesien dit nie nét die ondergeskiktheid van vroue laat voortleef nie; maar boonop jonger generasies van rolmodelle ontneem. Die temas van die studie word verbind met vroulike parlementslede weens hul rolle as beleidsopstellers en wetmakers. Dié vroue het strategiese en belangrike verpligtinge om na te kom in die strewe na geslagsgelykheid. Die persepsie bestaan dat vroue-politici dikwels ’n ander, nuwe perspektief op kwessies bied. Die media kan in dié opsig as ’n waardevolle voertuig aangewend word om die perspektiewe tuis te bring. Die media het ook ’n plig om vryheid van uitdrukking te verseker aan alle landsburgers - ongeag hulle geslag. Ten einde te bepaal of die ideologie deur die Mail & Guardian toegepas is, is ’n feministiese teoretiese aanslag gevolg. Die studie het gebruik gemaak van triangulasie, waartydens beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodologieë ingespan is. Die kwantitatiewe metode is gebruik om die mediadekking van vroue-politici te kwantifiseer. Triangulasie is ook tydens die data-insamelingsproses gebruik. Dit het ingesluit die aanwend van inhoudsanalises, asook in-diepte onderhoude. Die bevinding van die studie dui op die oortreding van die Protokol se mediavereistes. Verslaggewing oor vroue-politici is grootliks toegespits op skandale en omstredenheid en beide joernaliste en inhoudsredakteurs blyk onkundig te wees oor die vereistes.

The integration of social media records into enterprise content management systems is crucial to organisations as it enables them to have access to these records if they are required for evidential purposes. However, despite social media content being considered as official records in state-owned enterprises, they are often left unmanaged. The purpose of this study was to investigate the integration of social media content into the enterprise content management system at the South African Broadcast Corporation Limpopo provincial office in South Africa. The study utilised quantitative data collected through questionnaires distributed to SABC employees and employees at three radio stations in the Limpopo provincial office (Munghanalonene FM, Thobela FM and Phalaphala FM). The key results suggest that there were no policies or guidelines on the management of digital records that emanated from social media. It was discovered that the SABC’s Limpopo provincial office opened official accounts with various social media platforms such as SNSs, online content communities and podcasts to use for official matters; yet content generated through these platforms is neither managed nor preserved. It has been established that the responsibility of managing social media content is unconsciously assigned to the creators of the content as no official records management responsibilities were assigned. It is recommended that digital records emanating from the use of social media by the staff of the SABC Limpopo provincial office need to be treated and managed as official records, like all other paper-based records. In this regard, a policy for integration of social media content into enterprise content management is desirable. A further study on the development of a framework to integrate social media content into organisational records management is recommended. social media content, social media platform, enterprise content management, digital records, records, records management, online content communities, South African Broadcasting Authority. / Information Science / M.A.(Information Science)

Terfezia pfeilii is an edible mycorrhizal fungus that thrives in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. It is best known by desert dwellers for its flavour and as a source of nutrition. Although the genus Terfezia is generally regarded as being an ectomycorrhizal mycobiont, the exact mycorrhizal type formed by T. pfeilli and its' associated host plants remains uncertain. Discovery of the host plants for T. pfeilii would first be required in order to further investigate the life cycle and cultivation of this truffle. This study focussed on the isolation of mycelia from the ascocarp, optimising the growth conditions of the mycelial cultures, rapid molecular identification of T. pfeilii, investigation of potential helper bacteria and mycorrhizal synthesis experiments. T. pfeilii ascocarps were harvested from the Spitskop Nature Reserve in Upington, South Africa. Ascocarps were successfully identified using both morphological and molecular methods. Despite the delayed growth mostly caused by contaminating microorganisms, the isolation of T. pfeilii mycelia culture was successful. Molecular techniques were used to confirm the identity of the pure culture. Further studies were conducted on ways to improve the growth conditions of the mycelial culture on Fontana medium. An optimum temperature of 32°C, the addition of Bovine Serum Albumin as a nitrogen source and a pH of 7.5 significantly improved the growth of T. pfeilii in vitro. A rapid PeR-based molecular method was developed to speed up the identification of T. pfeilii. Specific primers that can exclusively amplify the ITS region of T. pfeilii were designed and used to identify both the ascocarps and the mycelial culture. The specificity of these primers was confirmed by their inability to amplify DNA from the isolates of contamining fungi obtained during the isolation process. Molecular comparison was made to confirm the reclassification of South African samples of T. pfeilii as Kalaharituber pfeilii as proposed by Ferdman et al.,(2005). However, in this study, the name T. pfeilii has been retained. A total of 17 bacterial isolates were obtained from the fruiting bodies of T. pfeaii and these were tested for stimulation of mycelial growth in vitro, indole production and phosphate solubilising capabilities. Bacterial isolates that showed potential to be Mycorrhization Helper Bacteria (MHB) were identified as Paenibacillus sp., Bacillus sp. and Rhizobium tropici. Selected plant seedlings were inoculated with T. pfeilii cultures or ascocarp slurry in order to re-establish the mycorrhizal association. After 8 months, light microscopy observations revealed an endomycorrhizal type association between Cynodon dactylon and T. pfeilii. This was confirmed with molecular analysis using specific T. pfeilii ITS primers. After 15 months, molecular methods confirmed Acacia erioloba as another host plant. These results have provided essential information paving the way for further investigation into the life cycle and biology of the Kalahari truffle. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in

This case study researches newsroom convergence as a process at the Mail & Guardian newspaper and their online edition the Mail & Guardian Online. It focuses on the reporters’ and editors’ attitudes towards newsroom convergence and on cultural resistance against change; one of the major challenges in the process. With structured interviews, observations and questionnaires it was analysed that communication problems between the newsrooms, different production cycles and time management issues are other prominent difficulties. The case study furthermore provides a snapshot of the convergence phenomenon as a process in a particular South African news organisation. The outcomes could not only assist other news companies with convergence plans but also be used as a pilot study for further research on converged newsrooms in South Africa.

The International, as the weekly newspaper of the International Socialist League, articulated from 1915 to 1919 an ideology which stood opposed both to organised labour and nationalist movements in South Africa. This situation reflected significant historical struggles during this period, which constitutes essential background to the discourse of the International. The International's writers opposed the institution of trade unionism in the labour movement because it was fragmented on the lines of skill and race. They opposed both the National Party and the South African Native National Congress because they advocated racial (and national) rather than working class interests. Instead, these writers, according to their international socialist paradigm, advocated a working class united irrespective of race and skill at the level of industry. To analyse these ideological positions, discourse analysis provides a fruitful method for locating its dynamics in relation to other positions and extra-ideological (contextual) practices: The International's writers g~nerated a socialist position against racism by engaging in an ideological struggle in discourse. They articulated their anti-racist position from international socialism's critique of the 'languages' of both militarism and trade unionism in the discourse of labour. Within the discourse of militarism, the working class was signified as divided between hostile nations. These writers applied this as a metaphor to the division of the local labour movement and criticised the latter accordingly. In their view, just as workers were divided between the nations (nationalism), so they were divided within the nation (racism) in South Africa. One context cohered with the other, and both agreed with imperatives of international capitalism. This was fundamentally opposed to the principles of international socialism which characterised the International's discourse. Within the dominant discourse oflabour, workers were signified as divided between different trade unions on the basis of skills. Furthermore, in the South African context, trade unions organised only white workers, and ignored the far larger proportion of black labour. In this context, the International advocated industrial unionism, and criticised the narrow base of the white trade unions for fragmenting and weakening the working class in South African. The International's writers were thus led by the discourse of international socialism to a new discourse, whereby not white workers alone, but a racially-united working class movement would be the key to a socialist future in South Africa. Their struggle entailed a bid in and over discourse to rearticulate the sign of the 'native worker' within their own discourse as the dominant discourse type. Underpinning their struggle was a fundamental opposition to capitalist class relations.

New mass media impact on the nature of public communication and the use and gratification of existing mass media because each new medium is used and experienced differently. As a new mass medium, the Internet offers different forms of communication, such as Internet Relay Chat, Multi-User Dungeons and chatrooms. It has also combined traditional mass media, namely print, radio and television, into a single powerful medium. Due to the fact that the Internet is still an emerging medium, its long-term effects on the nature of public communication and traditional mass media warrants ongoing investigation. The first part (Part A) of this dissertation situates the Internet chronologically within the development of traditional mass media and their impact on public communication. Part B investigates Internet use among a group of professionals in South Africa. The objective is to identify how they use the Internet and the gratification they derive from it. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

This is an exploratory study conducted to assess the way in which social media could enhance the experience for audiences of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) television drama. This study focused on Facebook and Twitter since they are two of the top five social media networks that are popular in the country and which have the potential to offer television more mileage in terms of communicating with its audience and extending its reach. The guiding theory for this study was uses and gratifications theory. This theory was employed to assist in assessing the opportunities that exist for SABC television drama, as well as to assess the ways in which the audience believe social media could be helpful in interacting with SABC television drama. The results for this study are interesting in that the majority of respondents believed that having a hashtag on screen during a drama broadcast would help to increase interactivity with the programme, as it could help direct audiences to the correct interactive space for that programme and they would be able to share their ideas and comments on the drama directly with the producers, making feedback immediate. It was interesting to note that the respondents believed that they could interact with SABC television drama for information relating to the story. The findings suggest that SABC television drama needs to actively adopt social media in its programmes for maximum interaction. There is also the need for an understanding of how they Facebook and Twitter could be embedded in SABC drama. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication Science)

This research provides insight into the use of social networks and social media by students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The primary purpose of this research is to investigate student social media practices at NMMU to establish the reasons for students engaging in social media. A growing number of educators acknowledge the potential of social networking to (re)engage learners with their studies, while others fear that such practices compromise and disrupt student engagement with traditional education provision (Selwyn, 2009). This study, therefore, aims to identify how and for what reasons students use social networks and social media. This study attempts to provide answers to the following research questions: For which social networking sites do students register and actively engage in? What is the most popular social networking site for students? How often do students engage in social media practices? What is the main purpose for students engaging in social media practices? How do students gain access to social media? For what educational purposes can social media be used? For which business purposes can social media be used? Do students use social media to collaborate with peers and lecturers? Do students use social media to make buying decisions? The literature overview was conducted on social media and social networks from journals and books published between the periods 2003 to 2011 as the popularity of social media came to the forefront during this period. Topics researched included social networks and libraries, educational and business uses of social networking and social media. A quantitative study was considered to be most appropriate to conduct the research for this study; and non-probability sampling was the most appropriate given the size of the population and the nature of this research. xiv Students were invited to participate in the research by completing and submitting a survey questionnaire at the conclusion of their lectures in the second semester during the month of September. The data collected was then analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to provide insight into student use of social media. The results would determine if relationships exist between the independent variables from the questionnaire, namely, age, gender, campus and course enrolment and the dependent factors, namely, usage, information exchange and security. This relationship would be determined for both the perceptions of social networking in general and the perceptions of NMMU social networking. These results are then used to identify further areas of research in the future. The majority of the population sample was between the ages of 17 and 21 and primarily females. The sample typically became aware of social media by means of word-of-mouth and accesses their social networking site/s more than five times a day. The main reason for registering and joining social networking sites was for social purposes. Furthermore, the sample used social networking sites for entertainment, social involvement, meeting new friends and maintaining relationships. The sample agreed that social networking makes information searching easier. The majority of the sample indicated that they were not registered on any NMMU Social Networking sites of the university or any faculty, department or unit social networking sites at the NMMU. However, it was clear that the majority of students was registered on social networking sites of some sort and would continue to use social networking and social media. The results from the study indicated that the mean value for the perceptions of social media in general were greater than that of the perceptions of NMMU social media in terms of usage. Likewise, the mean value for the perceptions of social networking in general was also greater than that of the perceptions of NMMU Social Networking for information exchange but the difference were very small. However, the mean value for the perceptions of NMMU Social Networking showed a greater mean value than that of the perceptions of social networking in general in terms of security. This means that respondents used social networking in general more than NMMU Social Networking. xv However, the respondents perceived NMMU Social Networking sites to be more secure than social networking sites in general. The results of this study could provide Higher Education Institutions in South Africa with the impetus to use social networks and social media to enhance students‟ learning experiences.