Thesis (M. Tech. degree in Journalism) -- Tshwane University of Technology 2009. / Provides a better understanding of the factors contributing to the overall success of the newspaper. A revised version of Machado's marketing mix model was used. The results showed how the elements of the marketing mix model had been successfully implemented.

Thesis (M.A. (Journalism and Media Studies)) - Rhodes University, 2009. / A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (M.A.)

M.A. (Communication) / The daily press in several Western countries is subjected to certain market, psychological and economic inspired changes that threaten its very existence. This assumption is manifested in the fact that the total circulation of daily newspapers in most Western countries does not seem to be keeping pace with the ever increasing growth in population. In fact, in the last ten to fifteen years, there has been a decline in the circulation figures of some daily newspapers in the West resulting in many closures. For example, in South Africa, more daily newspapers were sold in 1975 than in 1985. This study attempts to analyse the crisis facing the present day daily press, with a more pertinent emphasis on the daily press in South Africa. Several factors that gave rise to the said crisis are identified and expounded on. This was done from the supposition that there are certain factors threatening the function, content and structure of the daily press. In the first instance,"the study is based on the uses and gratification theory, and secondly, on the agenda-setting theory. For the purposes of this dissertation these two theories are combined and used as such. The factors identified as having a profound influence on the daily press are inter alia: alienation and resistance, information overload, the emergence of a vibrant local press and free sheets, the electronic media, and the pertinent financial aspects...

This study was designed to investigate the representation of gender roles in advertisements in popular South African newspapers, namely, the Sunday Times, Rapport, City Press, Post and Ilanga. The literature reviewed shows that media play a role in agenda setting and reinforcing existing gender role stereotypes through advertising. The study focused on the trend towards equal representation of gender roles in advertisements in popular South African newspapers. The research revealed some stereotypical representations of women in the newspapers. Although women were depicted in a variety of professions in the workplace, the advertisements showed some stereotypical depictions. The research also found out that, to some extent, men were depicted performing roles such as beautification and consumption, which have been stereotypically limited to women. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

This thesis investigates the English language press and its coverage of protest struggles and backlash, border wars and related militarisation of society in the critical years of South African political change between 1976 and 1988. The widespread reputation of Natal liberalism has led researchers to debate the extent to which the independent Natal Witness was a politically oppositional paper and raises interesting questions about the construction ofliberalism itself as a political doctrine. I examine the Natal Witness as a case study - an English language newspaper based in the province that was then called Natal. In this study, I focus on key events related to violent political conflict to determine how this newspaper reported on the apartheid state's police response to protest, its military campaigns, perceived security threats to the nation, the issue of military conscription, and the increasingly violent provincial politics fought between the followers of the United Democratic front (UDF) and Inkatha. I describe the coverage of the Witness at length and show how various mediums (news articles, letters, and opinion pieces) and various sources conveyed events to its readership. I assess the content and its ambiguities to paint a complex and detailed picture of how discourses shifted with events and over time. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Thesis (M.A. (Journalism & Media Studies)) - Rhodes University, 2009. / A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Arts.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The economic viability and continuity of any publication is determined by two critical factors, being: • The circulation of the publication, thus the readership, as well as • the advertising volumes of the publication. This particular study started by the realisation by management of the publication, Paarl Post, that these two critical factors had in real terms actually been declining since 1996, albeit marginally. The theme of continuous improvement was identified as critical in the process of eliminating "highs and lows", thus certain key areas had to be addressed. Furthermore these areas had to be continously evaluated and monitored. The process of change started with a process of gathering of information by means of questionnaires and personal interviews with certain key personnel by external consultants. A two-day session was scheduled where this information was processed with the help of the consultants and key personnel and the conclusion was made that the growth in circulation and advertising volumes and ultimately the growth in the publication was a function of certain key areas to be managed in the following way: • Cost efficient • Initiatives that lead to product growth • Optimizing of service • Continuous improvement of processes • Optimal use of manpower. The key areas of Marketing, Product, Communication, Processes and Information Technology were identified as key projects, which led to certain recommendations by these project teams based on abovementioned criteria. The "final" phase in the formal process, essentially a phase which never ends, is the implementation of the recommendations, and the continuous monitoring and following-up of the initiatives which ultimately develop to a continuous process of improvement, with the result: • Continuous circulation growth and • continous growth in advertising volumes, and ultimately continuous real growth in the community publication, Paarl Post. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Enige publikasie se ekonomiese lewensvatbaarheid en kontinuïteit word deur twee kritieke faktore bepaal, naamlik: • Sirkulasie, m.a.w. die lesergetalle van die publikasie en • advertensievolumes Hierdie studie is gebore in die bestuur van die publikasie se waarneming dat hierdie twee aspekte van die gemeenskapskoerant, Paarl Post, sedert 1996 afneem in reële terme en dus die ekonomiese kontinuïteit van die publikasie bedreig. Die tema van voordurende verbetering is geïdentifiseer as krities in die totale proses ten einde "highs and lows" uit te skakel. Dus moes sekere sleutel-areas aangespreek word, maar hierdie areas moes verder ook deurlopend geëvalueer en gemonitor word. Die proses van verandering is begin deur 'n proses waarby eksterne konsultante betrek is om die eerste fase van die proses te fasiliteer in terme van die inwin van inligting deur middel van vraelyste en persoonlike onderhoude met sleutelpersoneel soos deur bestuur geïdentifiseer. 'n Tweedag sessie is geskeduleer waarby hierdie inligting met die hulp van die konsultante en die sleutelpersoneel deurgewerk is en die slotsom bereik is, dat groei in sirkulasie en advertensievolumes en dus uiteindelik die groei van die publikasie 'n funksie is van die mate waartoe sleutelareas van die Paarl Post as volg bestuur word: • Koste--effektief • Inisiatiewe wat tot produk-groei lei • Dienslewering optimaliseer • Voortdurende verbetering van prosesse • Optimale benutting van mannekrag. Die sleutelareas van Bemarking, Produk, Kommunikasie, Prosesse en Inligtingstegnologie is as projekte geïdentifiseer, waarvan die uiteinde is dat elke projekspan sekere aanbevelings moes doen aan die hand van bogenoemde kriteria. Die "laaste" stap in die formele proses, wat uiteindelik 'n stap is wat nooit eindig nie, is die implementering van die aanbevelings, asook die voordurende monitering en opvolging van die inisiatiewe wat uiteindelik ontwikkel in 'n deurlopende proses van verbetering, met die resultaat: • Volgehoue sirkulasiegroei, asook • volgehoue groei in advertensievolumes en uiteindelik voordurende reële groei van die gemeenskapspublikasie, Paarl Post.

Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The relationship between the media and the law is an important one, especially in an adolescent democracy like South Africa. On the one hand the law has the power to control the fundamental right to freedom of expression – the very core of the media’s existence. On the other hand, however, the media are vital mechanisms through which the law can ensure that citizens know that justice is being done. The media are therefore also powerful; having the ability to influence people’s perceptions of and respect for the law. The relationship between the media and the law is characterised internationally by frequent tensions and misunderstandings – a trend that has not escaped South Africa. Whereas some of these strains may be explained with reference to both the media and the law’s respective duties in a democracy; many problems are also caused as result of misunderstandings and inaccurate expectations of both parties’ responsibilities in a democracy. This study was thus launched from the premise that there is room and need for improvement in the relationship between the media and the law. The way in which citizens perceive the law (or legal consciousness) was investigated; as were the sources of such perceptions. Making use of a questionnaire distributed to a sample of students at two Western Cape universities, it was established that students’ opinions of lawyers and judicial officers are generally positive, but that they do not have much confidence in the efficacy of the South African legal system. The feedback also indicates that news and popular media are the most important sources of such opinions of the law – a context-specific finding that echoes similar results obtained internationally. Popular media as an important source of perceptions give rise to several concerns. Not only do citizens struggle to distinguish between fact and fiction in popular media; but most of the popular (legally-themed) media available in South Africa are furthermore imported from the USA. This tendency, defined in this study as the Hollywoodization of South African law, lead to concerns that citizens may not only be basing their opinions of the law on fiction; but also that such media are premised on a very different (American) legal system from our own. The importance of news media as a source was investigated more specifically by making use of a case study (the Inge Lotz/ Fred van der Vyver story). The way in which pre-trial publicity and court reporting may lead to the sacrifice of a defendant’s right to a fair trial was investigated by looking at the influences of news media coverage on the parties involved; the presiding officers, assessors and witnesses; and the perceptions lay audiences may have of the specific case and (consequently) the law in general. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verhouding tussen die media en die reg is ’n belangrike een, veral in ’n jong demokrasie soos Suid-Afrika. Aan die een kant het die reg die mag om die hart van die media se bestaansreg – die grondwetlike reg op vryheid van spraak – te beheer. Aan die ander kant is die media ook ’n noodsaaklike meganisme wat aan landsburgers oordra wanneer geregtigheid geskied, en wanneer nie. Die media kan dus die doeltreffendheid van die reg in ’n demokrasie ernstig beïnvloed. Die verhouding tussen die media en die reg word wêreldwyd met misverstande en probleme gekenmerk – ’n tendens waarvan Suid-Afrika nie afgesonder is nie. Hoewel van dié stremminge veroorsaak word deur die partye se onderskeie natuurlike pligte in ’n demokrasie, word sommige probleme ook veroorsaak deur misverstande en onregverdige verwagtinge van wat beide partye se verantwoordelikhede behels. Die studie is gevolglik onderneem met die uitgangspunt dat daar moontlikheid vir verbetering in die verhouding tussen die media en die reg is. Die wyse waarop burgers die reg beskou of ervaar (waarna in die studie verwys word as legal consciousness of regbewussyn) word ondersoek; en só ook die bronne van burgers se regsbewussyn. Deur gebruik te maak van ’n vraelys wat aan ’n groep studente by twee Wes-Kaapse Universiteite uitgedeel is, word daar vasgestel dat studente oor die algemeen baie respek het vir die regslui, maar min vertroue in die Suid- Afrikaanse regstelsel het. Die terugvoering bepaal ook dat nuus- en populêre/ gewilde media die belangrikste bronne van regsbewussyn is. Dié bevinding, wat konteksspesifiek tot Suid-Afrika is, bevestig soortgelyke gevolgtrekkings wat internasionaal ook aanvaar is. Die feit dat populêre media ’n belangrike bron van regsbewussyn is, lei tot talle bekommernisse. Behalwe dat daar reeds bevind is dat gebruikers van dié media nie kan onderskei tussen wat feite en wat fiksie is nie, word daar in Suid-Afrika hoofsaaklik Amerikaanse populêre media met regstemas versprei. Die gevaar is dus dat Suid- Afrikaanse burgers dalk besig is om hul indrukke van die reg te baseer op beide fiksie én ’n Amerikaanse voorstelling van die regstelsel (die sg. Hollywoodization van die Suid- Afrikaanse reg). Die studie beskou verder die belangrikheid van die nuusmedia as ’n bron deur ’n gevallestudie van ’n bekende Suid-Afrikaanse moordondersoek en regssaak (die Inge Lotz/ Fred van der Vyver-saak). Die aard van beide voorverhoor-publisiteit en hofverslaggewing en die moontlikheid dat dit skade aan die regverdigheid van ’n verhoor kan verrig, word veral van nader beskou. Spesifieke aandag word ook geskenk aan die moontlike invloede van dié tipe mediadekking op die betrokke partye; die onafhanklikheid van voortsittende beamptes, assessore en getuies; en die indrukke wat by gewone burgers oor ’n spesifieke saak – en dus die reg in geheel – geskep kan word.

This thesis examines the way in which Business Day portrayed the neo-liberal logic of the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy as both common sense and natural. It utilises framing analysis, adapting its application to the context of media studies as the guiding theoretical framework in trying to understand how Business Day, as representative of the mainstream financial media, frame economic policy issues. Using content analysis, the thesis examines how elite sources are the preferred news sources above ordinary citizens and are thus in a position to shape news content in line with their neo-liberal views on the economy. The thesis analyses how Business Day, by means of the globalisation frame and other frames, legitimated and in the process perpetuated the GEAR strategy as the macroeconomic policy of choice for South Africa in 1996 against the background of the country’s political transformation and economic policy development in preceding years.

This study analysed the representation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Mail and Guardian from 2000 to 2007. It drew on perspectives from cultural studies, the constructionist approach to representation and the sociology of news production. Through the use of the quantitative and qualitative research methods, content analysis and critical discourse analysis, this study established first, that few significant changes have occurred within the newspaper's coverage of the MDGs during this period, and second, that the people most affected by the MDGs and affiliated programmes are seriously under-represented and that the manner of representation marginalises and subordinates them.