Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a feminist investigation of the reporting on the female politicians in the
Mail & Guardian using the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development media requirements
on content as the yardstick. The Protocol is a regional policy adopted in 2008 by regional
governments aimed at achieving gender equity in key sectors by 2015. The Protocol is a
regional instrument set up to assist in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The study investigated whether the Protocol’s media requirements were being observed by
the Mail&Guardian. The media’s role of providing information can assist the MDGs to be
met. These requirements encourage the media in the region to reach gender parity in the use
of news sources and writing of news reports that help to reduce gender-based violence and
the portrayal of women that is not stereotypic and oppressive. The themes of the study, which
were “gender-based violence”, “gender oppression” and “stereotypes against women” were
influenced by these requirements. Gender-based violence is a major impediment to
development in Africa because of the heavy financial burden it puts on governments and
communities to treat victims and offer them shelter and counselling. Gender-based violence
affects women’s full productivity in society because it results in death or victims remaining
absent from work while they seek treatment. Stereotypes and gender oppression are viewed
as dangerous because not only do they deny younger generations role models but they
perpetuate the insubordination of women in society. The study linked the themes to female
parliamentarians because being legislators and policy makers, they have a strategic and critical role to play in helping to achieve gender equity. There is a perception that female
politicians offer different perspectives to issues. The media can be a vehicle through which
these female politicians can express their opinions. This is because the media is supposed to
offer freedom of expression to all its citizens regardless of gender. In order to examine if the
female ideology had a place in the Mail & Guardian a feminist theoretical approach was used.
The study employed a triangulation approach in which both the qualitative and quantitative
research methodologies were used. The quantitative method was employed to a small extent
to quantify the coverage of female politicians. Triangulation in data collection entailed using
both the content analysis and in-depth interviews. Findings of the study showed a violation of
the Protocol’s media requirements. News reporting about female politicians centred on
scandals and controversies and journalists and editors were ignorant of the Protocol’s media
requirements. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie was ’n feministiese ondersoek na die Mail & Guardian se verslaggewing oor vrouepolitici.
Dis gedoen met die interregeringsorganisasie, die Suider-Afrikaanse
Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap (SAOG), se Protokol oor Geslag en Ontwikkeling as maatstaf.
Die Protokol is ’n beleid wat in 2008 deur die owerhede van die SAOG-lidlande van stapel
gestuur is, met die oog op geslagsgelykheid in sleutelsektore teen 2015. Dit dien as
instrument en hulpmiddel in die nastreef van bogenoemde. Die studie stel ondersoek in na die
handhawing, al dan nie, van die Protokol se mediavereistes deur die Mail & Guardian. Die
media se rol as verskaffer van inligting kan die strewe hierna bevorder. Die vereistes moedig
die media in die onderskeie streke aan om geslagsgelykheid toe te pas wat betref die gebruik
van nuusbronne, die skep van nuusberigte wat bydra tot die vermindering van
geslagsgebaseerde geweld en die uitbeeld van vroue wat wegskram van stereotipering en
onderdrukking. Die temas van die studie-"geslagsgebaseerde geweld",
"geslagsonderdrukking" en “stereotipering van vroue" is gevolglik deur die Protokol se
vereistes beïnvloed. Geslagsgebaseerde geweld is ’n wesenlike struikelblok in die pad van
ontwikkeling in Afrika, deels weens die swaar finansiële las wat dit plaas op gemeenskaplike
en regeringsvlak. Só moet slagoffers dikwels behandeling, skuiling en berading ontvang. Dit
het ook ’n besliste impak op vroue se produktiwiteit in die breër samelewing, aangesien
slagoffers van geslagsgebaseerde geweld in sommige gevalle afwesig is uit die werksomgewing om behandel te word of-in meer ernstige gevalle-sterf. Stereotipering en
onderdrukking word as uiters gevaarlik beskou, aangesien dit nie nét die ondergeskiktheid
van vroue laat voortleef nie; maar boonop jonger generasies van rolmodelle ontneem. Die
temas van die studie word verbind met vroulike parlementslede weens hul rolle as
beleidsopstellers en wetmakers. Dié vroue het strategiese en belangrike verpligtinge om na te
kom in die strewe na geslagsgelykheid. Die persepsie bestaan dat vroue-politici dikwels ’n
ander, nuwe perspektief op kwessies bied. Die media kan in dié opsig as ’n waardevolle
voertuig aangewend word om die perspektiewe tuis te bring. Die media het ook ’n plig om
vryheid van uitdrukking te verseker aan alle landsburgers - ongeag hulle geslag. Ten einde te
bepaal of die ideologie deur die Mail & Guardian toegepas is, is ’n feministiese teoretiese
aanslag gevolg. Die studie het gebruik gemaak van triangulasie, waartydens beide
kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetodologieë ingespan is. Die kwantitatiewe
metode is gebruik om die mediadekking van vroue-politici te kwantifiseer. Triangulasie is
ook tydens die data-insamelingsproses gebruik. Dit het ingesluit die aanwend van inhoudsanalises, asook in-diepte onderhoude. Die bevinding van die studie dui op die
oortreding van die Protokol se mediavereistes. Verslaggewing oor vroue-politici is grootliks
toegespits op skandale en omstredenheid en beide joernaliste en inhoudsredakteurs blyk
onkundig te wees oor die vereistes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/86556 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Phiri, Millie Mayiziveyi |
| Contributors | Sesanti, Simphiwe, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | x, 96 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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