Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study takes an analytical approach to discourse in its focus on the discursive realisation and (re)production of ideology in terms of the (re)construction of a singular female identity as portrayed by the media – specifically content generated by the online news and entertainment website, BuzzFeed. Data was collected electronically over a period of fifteen months (January 2014 to May 2015) and subjected to a keyword search, which then determined the most relevant articles. These articles were entered into two separate corpora for analysis in order to identify the most significant ideologies related to body shaming, and broken down linguistically through the use of Wordsmith Tools. The analysis of the data mainly drew upon the theories of Bakhtin’s conceptualisation of dialogic (2004), Gee’s building tasks of language (2014), van Dijk’s analytical toolkit (1984), (1990) and Kress’ notion of the formation of ideology (1989). The aim of this thesis was to investigate the (re)production of ideology surrounding traditional beauty ideals as being a singular concept in order to reveal the more complex identities of women as unique individuals. The study’s findings indicate that there is a significant correlation between female empowerment in terms of associating with feminist ideals and female misogyny as one of the main sources of body shaming, with female misogyny outranking feminism with only 4,94%. Furthermore, the study revealed that overall appearance was the most commonly discussed topic throughout the corpus, being mentioned in a total of 93,83% of articles, with the face and hair of women being most frequently discussed in 23,46% of articles. Overall appearance was also the topic most commonly shamed in the corpus, closely followed by fashion, body shape and fitness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie maak gebruik van ‘n analitiese benadering tot diskoers gerig op aspekte van taalwetenskap wat ‘n rol speel in die realisasie van idees in terme van die rekonstruksie van ‘n singulêre vroulike identiteit soos voorgeskryf deur die media – veral in die geval van inhoud gegenereer deur die aanlyn nuus en vermaakwebblad, BuzzFeed. Data was elektronies ingesamel oor ‘n periode van vyftien maande (vanaf Januarie 2014 tot Mei 2015) en onderwerp aan ‘n sleutelwoord soektog, wat dan die mees relevante artikels kon identifiseer. Hierdie artikels was toe in twee aparte corpora ingeskryf vir analise, ten einde van die identifikasie van ideologieë mees relevant tot die konsep van liggaambeskaming. Die data was ook taalkundig afgebreek deur die gebruik van Wordsmith Tools. Die analise van die data is hoofsaaklik gegrond op die teorieë van Bakhtin se konseptualisasie van dialogie (2004), Gee se boutake van taal (2014), van Dijk se metodologiese analise (1984), (1990) en Kress se teorie oor hoe ideologiese raamwerke gevorm word (1989). Die doel van hierdie tesis was die ondersoek in terme van die reproduksie van sekere ideologieë rondom tradisionele ideale van skoonheid as ‘n enkelvoudige konsep om meer te openbaar oor die komplekse identiteite van vroue as unieke individue. Die navorsing dui op ‘n beduidende korrelasie tussen die bemagtiging van vroue in terme van die assosiasie met feministiese ideale en vroue haat deur ander vroue as een van die hoofbronne van liggaambeskaaming, met vroue haat deur ander vroue geidentifiseer as die ideologie wat die meeste voorkom in die korpus, net 4,94% meer as feminisme. Verder onthul die studie dat algehele voorkoms die mees algemeen bespreekte onderwerp was, genoem in ‘n totaal van 93,83% van artikels, met die gesig en hare van vroue mees algemeen bespreek in 23,46% van artikels. Algehele voorkoms was ook die onderwerp wat mees algemeen verneder was, gevolg deur mode, liggaamsvorm en fiksheid.

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This dissertation analyzes the discourse of three infotainment television shows built around their hosts – characters who have gained considerable importance and influence in their respective countries: American Jon Stewart (host of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart); British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen (the actor who incarnates the popular characters Borat, Bruno, and Ali G in the Da Ali G Show), and Peruvian Jaime Bayly (host of the Peruvian TV show El Francotirador/The Sniper). These three shows responded to their specific national, cultural, social, and political contexts, while simultaneously demonstrating important similarities: they parody journalistic genres while questioning traditional journalism authority and arbitrary media norms; they use humor to develop political, social, and cultural critiques; and they revolve around a talented character who is a media celebrity. Drawing upon theory and literature related to media spectacle, infotainment, tabloidization, celebrity, and the carnivalesque, this research analyzes the three media characters’ discourse and critiques within their respective national and cultural contexts in order to understand their role in those societies and how they negotiate discursive power in the public sphere. This analysis also seeks to reveal how Stewart challenges the mainstream news media by exposing the difficulties of debate in the U.S.; how the subaltern voices of Ali G, Bruno, and Borat position Sacha Baron Cohen to confront hegemonic culture and identity; and how ambiguity and contradiction allow Bayly to be a transgressor in a society where entertainment has a particular political history. This research establishes commonalities and differences among these three representative cases in relation to the broader, global phenomenon of satiric infotainment, and introduces the notion of “critical infotainment” to characterize this satiric trend that combines entertainment, comedy, journalism, popular culture, and politics to develop social critique. Critical infotainment is interpreted as a result of and a transgressive reaction to the process of tabloidization and the cult of celebrity in the media spectacle era. Finally, this dissertation includes recommendations for future critical infotainment experiments to fill the gap left by the traditional press in today’s mediascape. / text

Diploma thesis "Tabloid media as a new media phenomenon in post communist countries" deals with the tabloid media in comparison with serious media in post communist countries (examples: Poland and Czech Republic). My diploma thesis looks to the tabloid media as a new phenomenon which appeared in this area after the fall of communism. Diploma thesis searches for a historical and social background of the tabloid media with special regard to the middle European region. I chose Czech Republic and Poland as a examples of this region on which I can demonstrate how tabloid media born and developed and how is their situation on the print media market in both countries. First part of every country chapter starts with the historical and social background, which goes from early 18th century until these days. Second part is analytical. This part analysis data of readership and circulation in both countries to find out how is the real position nowadays of main tabloid media on the print media market in both countries. Diploma thesis also offers short content analysis of main tabloid media in Poland and Czech Republic and short graphic analysis of this tabloid media. Everything together putts a complex look to the development and nowadays position of the tabloid media in post communist countries Czech Republic...

The subject of this master thesis is the comparison of the way of writing about celebrities in two time periods, namely 1930-1938 and 2000-2008. Thesis are based on two first-republic social magazines, Eva and List paní a dívek, and two magazines from the turn of the century - Cosmopolitan and Rytmus života. The first part of the thesis introduces primarily a theme of the social magazines and celebrities, it also touches the tabloid and the mass media. It also deals with the characteristics of selected social magazines. At the same time, the theoretical part explains the basic knowledge from the history of the two examined periods, which allows a better understanding of context of the periods. The second part of the master thesis is focused on own empirical research, which consists of exploratory and descriptive phase of research. It is therefore the most important part of the thesis, which brings new knowledges. The exploratory phase includes a research sample and presents article entries. The descriptive phase includes an analysis of relationships between celebrities and themes, emotions and sentiment in relevant articles. Part of this section contains research questions and answers.

This thesis seeks to define the difference between commercial media and public service media, given the degree of tabloidization. The work is based on the assumption that the tabloid principles do not interfere only the commercial media, but due to the gradual development of the media industry they even penetrate the public service media. The work is focused on the reasons and forms of penetration by the tabloid media principles to the public. The theoretical section outlines the basic theoretical background and terminology to the topic of public service media and to the topic of tabloid principles. There are presented the characteristics of the tabloid media in the theoretical part, not only in theme but also in language. At first the methods used are presented in the analytic part and then work attempts to outline the current situation in the public service media, specifically on the example of radio broadcasting. The practical part of this thesis is based on the content analysis of media messages. Public media represents the Český Rozhlas 1 - Radiožurnál, concretely its news reports. This work not only tries to find the tabloid principles in broadcast of this media, but also try to make its comparison with the news of commercial media, represented by broadcasting station Radio Impuls. Aim of this work is to confirm or eventually to refute the assumption that public service media in the Czech Republic are affected by some degree of tabloidization in the form of penetration of tabloid principles.