This qualitative study investigates people's media use and engagement on social media. By combining prompts material and qualitative interviews with theories such as the social mediated crisis communication model (Austin et al., 2012) and uses and gratifications theory (Katz et al., 1973; McQuail, 1984), it is delimited to drawing insights into how people themselves seek information in crisis situations but also how they prefer to get information about different crises mainly to national and local levels. These perspectives enhance the study and cover perspectives in people's behaviour regarding crisis information through different perspectives on people's media usage and behavior concerning information seeking about crises in different environments such as social media but also traditional media. Moreover, this study is centred around social media use, information seeking, information vetting, and information sharing. Further, misinformation, information sharing by influential people and organisations on digital platforms are also brought up and discussed in this study, which gives background to tendencies of motivation to people’s behaviour concerning perceiving and seeking information in a digital landscape versus traditional media.  In addition, the current state of digitalisation has provided new ways of extending mass communication than more traditional communication methods such as television, radio, and newspapers (McQuail, 2010; Lindgren, 2017). In crisis, the digital landscape therefore presents an opportunity to spread and receive information, including crisis information, through means such as the Internet and social media platforms (Eriksson, 2018; Lindgren, 2017). This makes it a useful tool for organisations when it comes to crisis communication, providing more timely and punctual communication to a wider audience and stakeholders. Thus, it is important for authorities, organisations and society to understand how civilians receive and interpret the meaning of crisis information, recognising that digitalisation has evolved ways in which people receive and interpret information (Castells et al., 2007; Lindgren, 2017; McQuail, 2010). By understanding how crisis information is perceived and interpreted by individuals in the digital landscape, it enables development of effective crisis communication strategies to emerge, making it an important aspect within crisis communication research (Austin et al., 2012; Jin & Pang, 2010; Vigsø, 2016). / Denna kvalitativa studie undersöker människors medieanvändning och engagemang på sociala medier. Genom att kombinera stimulimaterial och kvalitativa intervjuer med teorier som social mediated crisis communication model (Austin et al., 2012) och uses and gratifications theory (Katz et al.,1973; McQuail, 1984) avgränsas den till insikter om hur människor själva söker information i krissituationer men också hur de föredrar att få information om olika kriser på nationell och lokal nivå. Dessa perspektiv förstärker studien och täcker in perspektiv i människors beteende kring krisinformation genom olika perspektiv på människors medieanvändning och beteende kring informationssökning om kriser i olika miljöer såsom sociala medier men även traditionella medier. Denna studie är centrerad kring användning av sociala medier, informationssökning, informationskontroll och informationsdelning. Misinformation,  informationsdelning av inflytelserika personer och organisationer på digitala plattformar tas också upp och diskuteras i denna studie vilket ger bakgrund till underliggande tendenser av motivation till människors beteende när det gäller att uppfatta och söka information i ett digitalt landskap kontra traditionella medier i kontext av kris. Dessutom har digitaliseringens nuvarande tillstånd gett nya sätt att utvidga masskommunikation än mer traditionella kommunikationsmetoder som TV, radio och tidningar (McQuail, 2010; Lindgren, 2017). I kris ger det digitala landskapet därför en möjlighet att sprida och ta emot information, inklusive krisinformation, genom medel som Internet och sociala medieplattformar (Eriksson, 2018; Lindgren, 2017). Detta gör det till ett användbart verktyg för organisationer när det kommer till kriskommunikation, vilket ger mer läglig och punktlig kommunikation till en bredare publik och intressenter. Därför är det viktigt för myndigheter, organisationer men även samhället  att förstå hur människor tar emot och tolkar innebörden av krisinformation, med insikt om att digitaliseringen har utvecklat ett nytt sätt för människor i  hur de tar emot och tolkar information (Castells et al., 2007; Lindgren, 2017; McQuail , 2010). Genom att förstå hur krisinformation uppfattas och tolkas av individen i det digitala landskapet, möjliggör den därför utveckling av effektiva kommunikationsstrategier i kris, vilket gör den till en viktig aspekt inom kriskommunikationsforskning (Austin et al., 2012; Jin & Pang, 2010; Vigsø, 2016).

Retail stores rely on consumers to maintain their businesses and growth. Much of their success depends on the safety and security of consumers. The more people come and buy the products, the more profitable the stores become. If the safety and security of consumers (or their perceptions thereof) at a shopping centre where a retail store is sited is in question, consumers may well stop frequenting such centres and do their shopping at other retail centres at which they perceive to be more safe and secure to do their shopping. Consumers’ ‘peace-of-mind’ plays a vital role in their selection of which retail store(s) to frequent and will often determine whether a repeat visit will occur. The extent of incidents of crime of whatever nature at a particular shopping centre will also impact negatively on shoppers’ perceptions of ‘how safe it is to shop’ at particular centres. Security measures differ from one retail store to another and also between the size and layout, as well as the location of the retail store. The rate at which criminal offences take place at retail stores is currently vague or unknown. Therefore, it is vital that specific risks confronting these retail stores should be identified and analysed with the intention of recommending specific security measures. Business crime and violence present significant threats to consumers’ safety and security in South Africa. High levels of business associated crimes have compelled communities and business bodies such as retail stores to provide their own security for the protection of their assets, as well as consumers. Effective security measures are a prerequisite at retail stores to ensure the safety and security of consumers whilst visiting retail stores. Precaution ought to be taken when dealing with any crime problem that affects consumers at any business environment, in this study more precisely: retail stores. The study explored the existing security measures at retail stores for the protection of consumers. The researcher employed qualitative methods: one-on-one interviews with participants and site observations at selected retail stores. There were 30 participants (20 consumers and 10 security officers). The study found the following:  Retail stores were exposed to security risks such as theft; shoplifting; common robbery; armed robbery; fraud; arson and assaults (grievous bodily harm) and burglary.  The security measures that are currently in place are not adequate to protect retail stores. These security measures differ from one retail store to the next.  In order to improve safety and security at retail stores there should be a security standard that is applicable to the retail stores. Based on the findings, some of the recommendations were as follows:  Retail stores should be protected in line with the level of risk of the area where the retail store is situated: low risk; medium risk; and high risk.  Security managers should conduct security awareness regularly.  Threat assessments should be conducted regularly as well.  Consumers are encouraged to report to the Security manager at the retail store any suspicious actions; persons; objects; and vehicles. / Criminology and Security Science / M. Tech. (Security Management)

The research study covers the following topic “Vetting as a Technique to Investigate Employment Fraud in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan”. The researcher intends to evaluate the current procedures which are used in the process of forensic vetting as employment fraud investigation method in CoJ. Furthermore, to build the ground work for potential future innovation, problem solving, decision making and proper planning of the use of forensic vetting as employment fraud investigation method. The researcher applied the qualitative approach throughout the research because qualitative involves interaction between the researcher and the subject that was identified as a problem that concerned CoJ The researcher had selected ten (10) forensic investigators to partake in this study. The total population to be interviewed and collect data from was considerable and appropriate for evaluating forensic vetting as an employment fraud investigation method. The researcher used purposive sampling to choose the participants for this research. It was found that every individual within an organ of the State must be subjected to the vetting process. It was further found that the institutions in governmental, organs of the State and private spheres must adopt the forensic vetting practice to minimize fraudulent activities in their organizations. / Department of Police Practice / M. Tech. (Forensic Investigation)