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Chequebook journalism: a South African picture

Chequebook journalism is the convention of paying for stories. It is considered
antithetical to good journalism, yet is essentially ignored in many codes of conduct.
This research report investigates television actuality programs Carte Blanche, Special
Assignment and Third Degree in which the theory, as well as the practice of
chequebook journalism was discussed with the journalists and executive producers.
Discussion expanded into other contingent, morally suspect areas of payment, and
the lines they felt should not be transgressed. Four focus groups of viewers then
debated chequebook journalism and the quality of these programs. It was
anticipated that the practice of journalism would be in line with audience views yet
the standard of journalism as herein established surpassed viewer estimation.
Whereas the topic has been written of extensively in many first world Englishspeaking
countries, no research has been conducted in South Africa, thus adding
valuable information to the study of journalism.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/7265
Date15 September 2009
CreatorsStos, Susan Lisabeth
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Formatapplication/pdf

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