This study is based on an assessment of XK FM as a community radio station for the !XQ and Khwe ethnic communities. Various political under-currents and factors are examined: the refusal to accept the two groups as separate ethnic communities, the anomalous creation of XK FM as a community radio station under the auspices of SABC. This anomaly has created an ambiguity of what a community is within a community radio station, what are the historical and present complexities encompassed in considering the !XO and the Khwe as a single 'minority ethnic media community' and awarding them a radio licence, what is the nature and governance of community radio in general? The study followed a qualitative research paradigm whose epistemology IS phenomenological, using case study method, theories of the public sphere and ethnicity. According to this frame of reference XK FM radio station is seen as a case study of ethnic minority media. Community radio is therefore described as the expression of a small population, and a third voice between the state and private commercial radio. It also has the ability to correct the distortions inherent in the majority-controlled media by acting as the alternative media. The alternative element is associated with its potential to challenge the establishment, and in giving people an independent voice which is often perceived as alternative and free speech. Us major characteristics are; independence, equality, community participation, and representation. XK FM as a community radio is likely to consolidate the sustenance of beliefs in collective will, participatory approach to communication and citizen input. This enhances language as both a means of communication and expression of cultural identity for the local communities. This study concludes that the lXQ and Khwe are two different ethnic communities, with varied worldviews and aspirations. This assertions surmises that the issuing of the licence by ICASA merely focused on their cultural distinctiveness, and allowed for a localised form of public broadcasting, thereby entrenching ethnic cleavages most probably with the aim of manipulating the two communities. By implication, XK FM is not a community radio station in the strict sense, but an extension of SABC in a decentralised version. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

Geertz (1994) asserts that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance represented by culture. Culture, education, Christianity, self concept and context are some of the webs of significance that Geertz (1994) refers to. We are always spinning on these webs and sometimes it is difficult to predict responses to new information as we are continuously suspended on these webs. Presented in a narrative framework, using an autoethnographic approach, this is a story about self in relation to the contextual landscape that I continue to interact with which is mediated by family, culture, Christianity, education (academic discipline) and my experience of working for DramAidE. The aim is to understand DramAidE’s practice and investigate ways of improving communication strategies in public health. This story discusses the complex interaction between belief, identity and context in mediating responses to public health communication. Using Act Alive as a case study, I explore how people receive information about HIV/AIDS and how this information is interpreted and applied. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

In post apartheid South Africa, the country's citizens have undergone much change in terms of their identity. No longer are people bound by the disenfranchisement and the constraints that the erstwhile apartheid regime dictated, which placed people in distinct categories of identity. In this regard, South African citizens can now freely explore and exhibit their identities without having to act within the confines of 'specific' identities, which were once imposed upon them. Yet, despite this freedom some people within these groups remain committed to maintaining their cultural identity through certain mediums and practises. The Indian population of South Africa is one such group and the Sunday Tribune Herald is one such newspaper which caters for the Indian South African in this regard. This study examines how a print medium, that is, the Sunday Tribune Herald attempts to validate their target audience's notion of identity. Thus, the main focus of this research project is to explore, through the method of interviews, and a semiotic reading of the text, how the Sunday Tribune Herald and therefore those who are responsible for producing this newspaper, namely, staff members', play a role in constructing and negotiating the notion of identity. The project analyses what the Sunday Tribune Herald staff members' perception of the notion of identity is, and how, in their capacity as editors and journalists, they are able to provide a medium for a particular community, which is representative of, and addresses, the community's needs in terms oftheir identity. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

The aim of the study is to investigate the presentation of diverse sources of news in Lesotho Television (LTV) news bulletins. The sources of news in this case study are divided into two categories namely the 'knowns' (prominent people in society who occupy well-known positions) and the 'unknowns' (average citizens). The study measured the frequency with which the 'unknowns' appear as sources of news and/or as protagonists of news stories as well as subjects. The diversity of opinion was measured in terms of age and gender. The study is informed by public service broadcasting (PSB), news and source theories. The public service broadcasting theory highlights the hypothesis that LTV as a nation-builder has failed to fulfill its obligation of representing all the members of the society equitably. News theories highlight the notion that news selection favours the dominant or known sources and that newsworthiness is determined according to the broadcasting organisational demands. This study thus demonstrates that news stories at LTV are selected in terms of the economic, social and political requirements of the station. The findings of this research confirmed the assumption that news sources are the prominent members of the society while the ordinary or average people are mostly featured in news bulletins as subjects. The time and space allocated to them is not equal. More time is allocated to sound bites on 'knowns'. Although the station assumes the responsibility of a public service broadcaster by following its tenets of informing, educating and entertaining as well as being a nation-builder, this study has shown that it is a state broadcaster. The station serves the elite most of whom are middle-aged men from the government organisations, reporting on government policies. The study also confirmed that LTV editors and reporters are not as editorially independent as claimed in some writings. There is a tradition of self-censorship among journalists at LTV, as they are treated as public servants and are reminded that they serve the government and cannot 'bite the hand that feeds them'. As a result some information is withheld from the public and journalists rarely expose the malpractices of the government. This has resulted in limited dissenting or alternative views from the general public. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

This thesis examines the reception of material developed by Soul City: Institute for Health and Development in South Africa and distributed in four Sub-Saharan countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia. Soul City is the focus of considerable resource, research and media attention in South Africa. The study thus critically assesses Soul City's efficacy in neighbouring states, such as Lesotho. The focus of the study is on Choose Life; a booklet intended for 12-16 year olds and assesses its reception by the target group in Lesotho. The study investigates how message-decoding practices of the target audience in Lesotho will bear on a product originally designed for a South African audience. The sample's interpretation of the Choose Life booklet is therefore assessed to determine the extent to which their reception produced 'preferred', negotiated or aberrant meanings. Therefore Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model (1980) offers the theoretical framework upon which the reception of Choose Life is analysed. Development communication models are also used to explain the role of Soul City as the agent and Youth in Lesotho as beneficiaries in the implementation of the project. Results established by this study indicate that there is need to conduct extensive formative research of target audiences and also involve beneficiaries in projects intended for them. Different readings of the booklet were observed which were attributed to age, gender, place of residence (Urban or rural), cultural and communication barriers . This means these factors were supposed to have been considered by Soul City prior to the Choose Life intervention. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

Participatory education (Friere 1972) and by extension participatory drama/theatre (Boal 1979, Mda 1993) has been regarded as particularly appropriate for oppressed communities, since participatory theatre for development - which involves the active participation of both spectator and actor - encourages disempowered communities and individuals to view change as possible (Mda 1993). However, taking DramAidE (Drama in AIDS Education) as a case study this dissertation argues that in a post- apartheid South Africa the tendency with development/ participatory theatre has been to marginalise questions of gender in the focus on race without an awareness that it is the interconnections between race/ class and gender oppressions which characterise a society (Davis 1984). This coupled with the fact that theatre for development has a tendency, if not effectively facilitated, to allow for the reinforcement of dominant [patriarchal] values (Kerr 1995) makes an awareness of gender dynamics in participatory theatre projects particularly relevant. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1997.

This dissertation sets out to identify the national interest in terms of South African sport, as represented by the 2003 ICASA Position Paper and Regulations on Sports Broadcasting Rights. The dissertation focuses on South African rugby which, along with cricket and soccer, is one of the main sports deemed to be in the national interest. The government’s use of televised sport as a means of disseminating the ideology of nationalism amongst South Africans is explored. A critique of the national interest is provided with the importance of private, commercial broadcasters to the financial sustainability of sporting unions stressed. Commercial broadcasters are often the only broadcasters capable of acquiring sports broadcasting rights at international market related prices. Commercial broadcasters are, therefore, important to the longevity of professional sports and cannot be sidelined by related policies which could give preference to free-to-air broadcasters. The concept of ‘responsible broadcasting’ is introduced as a means of maintaining the national interest. Broadcasters, sporting unions and the public are imperative to the promotion of the national interest and are analysed further in this regard. The dissertation ends with a discussion of televised sports’ contribution towards efforts of nation-building within a South African context. This discussion establishes whether rugby events deemed to be in the national interest are readily accepted by South African audiences and warrant their inclusion in future ICASA policies. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This dissertation involves a longitudinal study of the promotional materials of !Xaus Lodge, a community-owned lodge in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The study engages with stakeholders of the Lodge in order to assess its promotional materials in terms of marketing, identity and development issues. The Circuit of Culture (Du Gay et al. 1997) covers and examines the process of meaning-making which forms the basis for understanding the textual and reception analyses. This, along with pertinent tourism theories, which discuss issues such as the concept of ‘authenticity’, the notion of the ‘other’ and various modes of representation, form the basis of the theory pervading the dissertation. The textual analysis is based on Tomaselli’s Phaneroscopic Table (1996), through which the promotional materials are examined. The reception analysis thematically discusses target market and past visitors’ opinions about the materials and the Lodge, facilitated through the process of coding. The informants’ opinions were collected through a number of focus groups conducted with the target market of !Xaus Lodge and through online questionnaires sent to past visitors. A comparison between the textual and reception analyses is conducted in order to identify similarities found and explain divergences. The analyses refer to all aspects of the promotional materials, but tend to concentrate on ≠Khomani representation within the materials and the feedback about the ≠Khomani cultural tourism experience at the Lodge. At the moment, the ≠Khomani express a romantic identity which relates well to similar expectations of many tourists, but the ‘reality’ of ≠Khomani society does not allow these !Xaus employees to meet the idealistic expectations of some visitors. / Thesis (M.A.)-University KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This research discusses the basic characteristics of community radio in relation to the types of communities they serve. The researcher focussed on Highway Radio and Radio Maritzburg. They are assessed in terms of their commonalities and differences in ownership, mission, governance, organizational structure and administration systems. One of the main differences between Highway Radio and Radio Maritzburg is the mission for which they were licensed and the type of community they serve. Radio Maritzburg was licensed to serve the geographic community of Pietermaritzburg and its surrounding areas. Its main mission is to create peace and harmony in the community, to encourage local artistic skills, to develop family values and enhance community upliftment through entertainment and educational services. On the other-hand, Highway Radio was licensed as a community of interest radio station to serve the Christian community living in Durban, Pinetown and its surrounding areas. Despite Highway Radio broadcasts different programmes to serve the geographic community, its main mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ as a principle function of evangelism and to enhance harmony among the churches. Radio Maritzburg broadcasts the programmes in six languages to cover the diversified linguistic groups in the community while Highway Radio broadcasts only in three languages. The concept of diversity in Highway Radio is to accommodate the diversified Christian churches rather than focussing on the linguistic diversity. These two radios are owned and controlled by their respective communities. The communities members are responsible for maintaining the radios in terms of programming, financing, and controlling the stations. In both radios, the communities control the radios through the Boards that are nominated by the respective communities at the annual general meeting. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

This thesis provides a comparative case study of two South African women's magazines, Cosmopolitan and True Love. The comparison is based on the fact that Cosmopolitan is an international magazine brand which is largely read by white women in this country, while True Love is a local publication produced for, and consumed by, black South African women. The case study makes use of both text and audience analysis. The text analysis begins as a genre study, in an attempt to 'denaturalize' the magazine form, and includes an intertextual analysis of the magazines and their secondary texts, or brand extensions. The magazine genre is considered from a cultural studies perspective and in the light of feminist media criticism. A reception analysis, informed by focus group research, provides the audience analysis component of this case study. Primarily, this thesis is concerned with the reception of women's magazines by teenage girls. It interrogates the assumption that, in the absence of a local 'teen' magazine industry and western rite-of-passage ritual, women's magazines serve as cultural developmental markers and informal educational devices in the passage from girlhood to adulthood. This study adopts a poststructuralist view on the self as socially constructed within discourse. In this view, the media serve as resources for identity construction and negotiation. Gender, a particular discourse organized around the constructs of 'masculinity' and 'femininity', is inscribed in the subject along with other discourses, such as those of race, class and ethnicity. Women's magazines, which provide an example of a 'women's genre', give 'femininity' a material form. Their glossy visual appeal is illustrative of the commodity fetishism associated with advanced capitalism and their continuing success demonstrates how consumption, identity and desire are intimately connected within postmodern consumer culture. Above all, this thesis recognizes that women's magazines are discursive sites-of-struggle which need to be considered from a position which is neither purely condemning nor purely celebratory, but finds instead a balance between 'creativity' and 'constraint'. Both the text-based and audience-centred components of this study draw on strands of discourse analysis. The critical discourse analysis (CDA) of Norman Fairclough informs the thesis as a whole but is applied specifically to the text analysis. The concept of 'interpretive repertoires' proposed by theorists who use discourse analysis in social psychology (DASP) is applied t6 the analysis of focus group material. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.