Twenty women linked with the sex trade in Edmonton, Canada went missing or were murdered between 2001 and 2008. In this study, I use Foucauldian and feminist theories, via discourse analysis, to examine the ways that Edmonton’s newspapers (re)present these murders. My findings show that the newspapers’ discourse deviantises these women, thereby minimising the tragedy of their disappearances and deaths. This deviantisation is deployed in three ways; by framing sex trade workers as criminally, medically, and morally deviant. Criminal deviance places sex trade workers firmly on the ‘wrong’ side of the law, making them undeserving of police protection; medical deviance implies that only women who are mentally ill in some way would take part in the sex trade, and, simultaneously, hyperbolises the role of sex workers in the spread of venereal diseases. Finally, discourses of moral deviance place sex workers on the ‘wrong’ side of morality and femininity. iv / ix, 126 leaves ; 29 cm

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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Electrical energy has become an indispensable part of the modern world, supporting industries and economic systems. Any disruption of supply is felt immediately in all spheres of life. The operation of a power system is a complex process involving rotating machines that may fail from time even though they are maintained regularly. The overhead transmission system is likewise prone to faults caused by environmental factors such as pollution and lightning. Power authorities therefore operate their systems in such a way that they have sufficient reserve capacity available to allow for contingencies. In the last decade of the previous century a condition developed, for various reasons, that the reserve margin was too small in the South African electricity supply system. At the end of 2005, a spate of failures occurred at Koeberg power station and later in 2007 serious coal supply problems developed at the large power stations in Mpumalanga, aggravating the situation. This research project focuses on the complexity of the task of the reporter when reporting on occurrences such as these. It is required to convey the factual situation to the readers, avoiding alarmism and sensationalism. At the same time the reporter also has a role to play in educating the readers. It was a difficult task, seeing that the reporters were not necessary versed in the technical field. They therefore had to rely on Eskom’s spokespersons. In this project newspaper clippings of various Western Cape newspapers containing the word Eskom were analysed. The method of analysis was content analysis. Firstly the quantitative content analysis was used to obtain distribution of articles over the period and among newspapers. Thereafter the topics covered and the types of article were obtained for the various newspapers and years. Next articles for 2006 and 2008 were investigated using qualitative content analysis. Certain attributes in the articles were detected manually and a profile was obtained for each newspaper for each year period. Questionnaires were sent to reporters responsible for some of the articles and to a technical expert who was consulted regularly by the news reporters. It was found that the number of articles and style of presentation vary among the newspapers. There is evidence of framing of Eskom as incompetent. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Elektriese energie het ¢n onontbeerlike deel van die moderne wêreld geword wat nywerhede en ekonomiese stelsels ondersteun. Enige onderbreking van toevoer word onmiddellik in alle lewensfere gevoel. Die werking van kragstelsel is komplekse proses met roterende masjiene en ander toerusting wat onderworpe aan faling is, selfs al word dit in stand gehou. Die oorhoofse transmissiestelsel is ook onderworpe aan foute wat deur omgewingsfaktore soos besoedeling en weerlig veroorsaak word. Kragvoorsieners bedryf daarom hul stelsels so dat hulle voldoende reserwekapasiteit het om toe te laat vir gebeurlikhede. In die laaste dekade van die vorige eeu het die toestand, om verskeie redes, ontwikkel dat die reserwemarge in die Suid-Afrikaanse stelsel te klein geword het. Teen die einde van 2005 het reeks falings by Koeberg kragstasie plaasgevind en later in 2007 het ernstige steenkoolvoorsieningsprobleme by die groot kragstasies in Mpumalanga ontstaan en dus die situasie vererger. Hierdie navorsingsprojek fokus op die kompleksiteit van die taak van die verslaggewer as oor sulke gebeure verslag gedoen word. Dit word vereis om die feitelike situasie oor te dra sonder alarmisme en sensasie. Terselfdertyd moet die verslaggewer ook rol speel om die lesers op te voed. Dit is moeilike taak daar die verslaggewers nie noodwendig belese in die tegniese vakgebied is nie. Hulle moes dus staatmaak op Eskom se spreekbuise. In hierdie projek is koerantuitknipsels van verskeie Wes-Kaapse koerante wat die woord Eskom bevat, ontleed. Die metode wat gebruik is, is inhoudsanalise. Eerstens is kwantitatiewe inhoudsanalise gebruik om die verspreiding van artikels oor die tydperk en tussen die koerante te verkry. Daarna is die onderwerpe wat gedek is verkry vir die onderskeie koerante en jare. Vervolgens is artikels van 2006 en 2008 ondersoek deur kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise te doen. Sekere kenmerke is in die artikels opgespoor en profiel is verkry vir elke koerant en elke jaarperiode. Vraelyste is aan verslaggewers wat sommige artikels geskryf het en ook aan tegniese deskundige wat gereeld deur verslaggewers genader is, gestuur. Dit is bevind dat die getal artikels en die styl van aanbieding wissel tussen die koerante Daar is ook tekens van raming van Eskom as onbekwaam.

Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Abstract: This study analyses the reporting of the Iraqi prisoner abuse issue at Abu Ghraib as reported upon by two South African newspapers from an ethical point of view. The focus falls on the issue of accuracy. Accuracy in war reporting of geographically distant conflicts as exemplified with this case study is a delicate and important matter, the media often being the only window for the public to learn of and about a conflict. In this case study, the two South African newspapers Cape Times and Mail&Guardian will be analysed to show the extent of their adherence to codes of conduct and exemplify the problematic practicalities in ethical reporting on international news. With the main focus of the study being on the ethical issues concerning accuracy, other relevant topics, such as ‘objectivity’, balance, fairness and truth telling, as well as more practical concerns will also be partially considered. The selected case studies are contextualized within the South African media environment so as to yield a better insight into the choices made on an editorial and/or newsroom level. As case studies, selected articles from the Cape Times and the Mail&Guardian during a three-month time-span are analysed using Day’s Situation/Analysis/Decision (SAD) model. Each article will further be analysed from the point of view of the newspaper’s own code of conduct and overarching ethical codes such as the South African Press Ombudsman’s Code of Conduct as well as in terms of the South African laws relevant to the media industry.

This study examines the construction of crime reality by The Voice and The Midweek Sun newspapers by means of a content analysis and involved the exploration of violent crime news reporting, measured against police statistics. The two publications, The Midweek Sun, and The Voice newspapers, were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed to identify the types of violent crimes reported and to determine any differences they may have compared to the Botswana Police crime records, between themselves, and on how they framed or depicted violent crimes. The results were collected using a coding sheet, new story analysis form and analysed against official police records to determine any inconsistencies that may have existed between the crimes covered by two newspapers and police statistics. The qualitative analysis involved a coding sheet to identify lexical features and rhetorical devices in the headlines. The lexical units included compound words and fuzzy words. The rhetorical elements scrutinised included metaphors, alliteration, rhyme, puns, and idioms. The research analysed the news headlines. The study will assist in shedding light on the accuracy of crime news reporting, levels of sensationalism, overreporting or underreporting of violent crimes. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy: Management Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Nigeria’s vociferous media has the potential to be divided along ethnic and religious lines. Given that most Nigerians view political aspirants in terms of their ethnic and religious lineage rather than political ideology, and since most Nigerians rely on the media for information, there is the tendency to fall prey to biased and insensitive reportage, capable of inciting violence which is elicited by prejudiced information often presented as news, features, commentaries, documentaries, etc. This problem is the major motivation behind this research, which aims to build through training, the capacity of the media to report elections in a conflict-sensitive manner. This thesis develops, through the use of a participatory action research design, an alternative method of news reportage using the peace-journalism model. The model, developed by Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick (2005), encourages journalists to report social issues in ways that create opportunities for a society to consider and value nonviolent responses toward conflict by using the insights from conflict analysis and transformation to update concepts of balance, fairness and accuracy in reporting. It also provides a new route map, which traces the connections between journalists, their sources, the stories they cover and the consequences of their reportage. In addition, it builds awareness of nonviolence and brings creativity into the practical job of everyday editing and reporting. This research holds theoretical significance in that it explicitly identifies conditions that encourage journalists to apply conflict-sensitivity to their reportage, thereby promoting societal peace, particularly during elections. The research findings herein offer a unifying multi-dimensional, conceptual framework which can be used to analyse and discuss the role journalists play in ensuring peaceful elections and demonstrates that they have a constructive part to play when covering sensitive social issues. A training manual has been developed from the findings of the study; it is intended to serve as a template and guide for journalists reporting on elections across the African continent.

In Ethiopia people are highly dependent on natural resources which often lead to environmental degradation. The perception is that environmental degradation is partly due to lack of environmental awareness. The level of environmental awareness and the role of the media in creating awareness in Kembata Tembaro Administrative zone were investigated. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used to identify sources of environmental knowledge, content, spatial extent, volume and priority of media coverage, impact of media, and expectation of audiences and producers. Experience, rather than outside sources, such as provided by the media, is the main source of environmental information, but awareness is key to reduce further environmental degradation. Environmental media programs should be transmitted at suitable times and the experiences of successful farmers in natural resources conservation and development should be shared. Attention should also be given to identification of awareness obstacles and training and sensitizing of journalists on environment issues

published_or_final_version / abstract / History / Master / Master of Philosophy

A preliminary theoretical framework for analyzing the role of the press in the public process of defining important social issues and labeling of politically marginal minorities is developed. This theory employs the concept of newsworthiness and stresses the effect of the social organization of news work as a factor in press gatekeeping and agenda setting. It is the object of our research to demonstrate that the "objective" perspective of the news media is, in actuality, a biased one which is imbalanced and slanted towards representation of dominant group interests. Two cases, illegal Mexican immigration, and the 1984 Ferraro-Bush campaign, are analyzed to determine how reporting practices result in imbalanced coverage. Our empirical analyses of news content on these issues will show that a favorable rate of access to the press for dominant group, rather than minority group representatives exists. As a result, news coverage of undocumented Mexican workers and the 1984 woman vice-presidential candidate was imbalanced.

As the 2008 presidential election nears, the Democrats get closer and closer to supporting one of two presidential nominees—a Black man or a White woman—both of whom represent demographic groups that have yet to be seen occupying the White House. This creates a unique opportunity for observing the process of transformation and the fluidity of one of some of our most fundamental concepts (i.e., `president' and `woman') through the print media. Therefore, this thesis examines the process of transformation by analyzing the role of Hillary Clinton's gender performances in TIME Magazine.This thesis examines Hillary Clinton's thirteen appearances on the cover of TIME and the corresponding articles, between 1992 and 2008. Through a qualitative content analysis, this analysis combines Judith Butler's theory of gender performitivity and the concept of subversion with more traditional conceptions of male and female gender roles, a in order to assess the subversive potential of Hillary Clinton's mediated gender performances. Specifically, this thesis addresses the following research questions:RQ 1: In what ways does Hillary simultaneously embody both male and femalegender performances?RQ 2: How do mediated gender performances differ from immediate gender performances?RQ 3: How do these performances work to produce her public identity?RQ 4: Do Hillary's gender performances subvert the heterosexual matrix? Or do they reinforce it?This analysis contributes to the theory of gender performance by demonstrating the potential for a methodological application based on the logical consequence of reconstructing gender—even if such reconstruction is based on false pretenses. Furthermore, it contributes to the communication discipline by offering practical guidelines for analyzing and predicting subversive potential. / Department of Communication Studies