Thesis (M.Phil.) --Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reality television combines various genres of entertainment to produce material that has
in recent years gripped the attention of audiences across the globe. It is presented in
various formats such as game or talk shows, which each reveal different ethical dilemmas
to media practitioners. Reality shows place ordinary persons in exotic locations or
situations where cameras capture non-scripted scenes that reveal the joy and heartache of
participants. These programmes often lay the lives of normal people bare to all and, thus,
the question arises as to whether it is ethical for the media to subject participants to the
scrutiny of the audience in this way.
Reality television has highlighted the ethical challenges and responsibilities presented to
media practitioners in the modem media industry where competition may adversely
affect ethical choices. In this assignment the function of journalists and their ethical
position is touched on, while the medium of television, its entertainment value and the
effect of commercialism on the media industry is examined. Various international and
South African reality television productions are considered in an attempt to discover how
current media practitioners deal with ethical challenges, and weigh up financial gain
against upholding the moral values of society. The role of media practitioners as moral
agents and the effect that the material they disseminate may have on their audience is
furthermore discussed by using case studies.
The future of reality television, particularly after the terror attacks of 11 September 2001
in the USA, is speculated and it is determined that it appears that reality-based
programming will be a feature of television in the short term. Media practitioners need to
realize their place in society and make ethical decisions that encourage artistic values and
uplift society. Reality television presents a number of challenges in this regard and has
the potential to continue to raise ethical issues in the future. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Realiteitstelevisie is 'n kombinasie van verskeie vermaaklikheidsgenres en het oor die
afgelope jare die aandag van kykers wereldwyd aangegryp. Dit word op verskeie wyses
aangebied soos byvoorbeeld in die vorm van speletjies- of geselsprogramme, welke elk
verskillende etiese dilemmas vir media praktisyns daarstel. Hierdie programme plaas
gewone persone voor die kameras op eksotiese bestemmings en in unieke situasies waar
die ware blydskap en hartseer van deelnemers vasgele word op film. Hierdie programme
beskou soms elke aspek van deelnemers se lewens, en dus word die vraag geopper of dit
eties is vir die media om die lewens van deelnemers bloot te le vir kritiek van kykers.
Realiteitstelevisie het die etiese uitdagings en veranwoordelikhede van media praktisyns
in die moderne media bedryf, waar kompetisie 'n negatiewe effek op etiese keuses mag
he, na vore gebring. In hierdie werkstuk word die funksie van joernaliste en hul ethiese
posisie kortliks aangeraak, terwyl die middel van televisie, ·die vermaaklikheidswaarde
daarvan asook die effek van kommersialisme op die media bedryf ondersoek. V erskeie
internasionale en Suid-Afrikaanse realteitstelevisie produksies word hierin oorweeg in 'n
poging om te ontdek hoe huidige media praktisyns etiese uitdagings hanteer en fmansiele
gewin opweeg teenoor die morele waardes van die gemeenskap. Die rol van media
praktisyns as morele agente en die effek van die materiaal wat hulle versprei word ook
bepsreek deur middel van gevallestudies.
Die toekoms van realiteitstelevisie, veral na die terreur aanvalle van 11 September 2001
in die VSA, word gespekuleer en word dit bevind dat realiteitstelevisie, minstens in die
kort termyn, 'n eienskap van televisie in die toekoms sal wees. Media praktisyns moet hul
plek in die samelewing besef en etiese besluit neem wat die artistieke waardes van die
gemeenskap bevorder. Realiteitstelevisie opper vele uitdagings in hierdie opsig en beloof
om ook in die toekoms etiese aspekte uit te lig.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53026 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Delange, Lisa Jeanne |
| Contributors | Wasserman, Herman, 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 | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 47 leaves |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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