Return to search

The impact of tabloidisation on the South African press

Thesis (MPhil) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The advancement of news technology in the last few decades has lead to an
information explosion of an unprecedented scope. Twenty-four hour a day news
channels, electronic publications, the Internet, and a proliferation of print publications
feed this media explosion.
Coupled with this has been the growth of a celebrity culture, where the lives of the
rich and famous have been placed under intense scrutiny.
Commercial interests also have to be taken into account. It is conventional wisdom
that sensational news sells newspapers. This news is not limited to celebrity news, but
encompasses crime reporting as well as high profile scandals affecting ordinary
people. As the news becomes more ubiquitous, the competition becomes tougher and
the pressure to print what sells grows.
The other commercial pressure is that of the marketers of the entertainment industry
who have a vested interest in having the stars of their movies, music and television
shows enjoy a high media profile.
This study aims to determine whether the South Africa media has shown a trend
towards reporting a more sensational and celebrity based form of news. It seeks to
discover whether the South African news has become tabloidised.
This will be done by analysing the content and presentation of the front page of The
Cape Times, a Cape Town based broadsheet, over the period of several years. This
will be used as a measure to determine whether or not the content and form of the
South African media is following a trend to tabloidisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vooruitgang in mediategnologie aan die einde van die twintigste eeu het tot 'n
oorvloed van inligting gelei. Nuuskanale wat vier-en-twintig uur per dag uitsaai,
elektroniese publikasies, asook die Internet en die groei van die drukmedia het
hierdie verskynselondersteun.
Tegelykertyd het die media in die jongste dekades meer begin fokus op die lewens
van beroemdes.
Kommersiƫle faktore moet ook in ag geneem word. Met die groei van die media is
meer druk geplaas op individuele nuusorganisasies om winste te maak. Dit is
alombekend dat sensasionele nuus verkoop. Hierdie soort nuus is nie net gefokus op
beroemdes nie, maar ook op misdaad en skandale deur gewone mense.
Bemarkingsamptenare van die vermaaklikheidsbedryf moedig nuus oor beroemdes
aan, want dit help om hul produkte te verkoop as hul sterre dekking kry.
Hierdie studie wil vasstelof die media in Suid Afrika wel meer fokus op sensasionele
nuus, ten koste van meer ernstige nuus. Dit wil vasstelof die Suid- Afrikaanse media
die kenmerke van poniekoerante begin toon.
The Cape Times, 'n Kaapse koerant, se voorblad is ontleed oor 'n tydperk van enkele
jare. Die nuusinhoud asook voorkoms van die koerant is bestudeer om vas te stelof
die koerant in 'n poniekoerant ontwikkel. Hierdie koerant is gebruik as 'n voorbeeld
van die Suid-Afrikaanse media.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50159
Date04 1900
CreatorsHolt, Billie-Jean
ContributorsRabe, Lizette, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format61 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

Page generated in 0.0021 seconds