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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/1664 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Van der Spuy, Anri |
| Contributors | Ogada, J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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