Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT : This study investigated the political role of the Weekend Nation newspaper in the democratisation of
Malawi between 2002 and 2012 within the context of its foundational and ownership structures by a
politician. Bearing in mind that the newspaper was founded by a politician belonging to the first
democratically elected ruling party, the United Democratic Front (UDF), this research sought to
examine the impact of media ownership on the political role of the Weekend Nation’s journalistic
practices in Malawi’s democratisation. Between 2002 and 2012, Malawi was governed by three
presidents – Bakili Muluzi of the UDF from 1994 to 2004, Bingu wa Mutharika of the Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) from 2004 to 2012, and Joyce Banda of the People’s Party (PP) from 2012
to 2014 – all of whom were hostile to the Weekend Nation.
Taking into cognisance the ownership of the Weekend Nation by a politician, the critical political
economy theory of the media was deemed to be the most appropriate theoretical framework for this
study. In media research, the critical political economy theory asserts that owners are able to regulate
the output of the media institution either by intervening in the day-to-day operations, or by
establishing general goals and understandings and appointing managerial and editorial staff to
implement them within the constraints set by the overall allocation of resources. The study employed
a qualitative research methodology, in particular in-depth interviews and qualitative content analysis.
Research findings indicate that overall, the political ownership of the newspaper had no direct bearing
on the journalists’ political role in the enhancement of democracy and good governance in Malawi.
It established that despite the ownership of the Weekend Nation belonging to a prominent and
influential politician, the editorial independence was not compromised. Contrary to general
expectations, this study established that the Weekend Nation in Malawi, was critical to the political
elite in an indiscriminate manner.
Although it was not the focus of this study, the research also showed that market forces, in line with
the stance taken by the critical political economy theory, had some impact on the Weekend Nation’s
editorial independence. The quest for more advertising revenue, to an extent, undermined the struggle
for complete editorial independence. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Hierdie studie het die politieke rol van die koerant die Weekend Nation in die demokratisering van
Malawi tussen 2002 en 2012 vanuit die konteks van sy fundamentele rol en eienaarskap deur die
politieke elite ondersoek. Met as vertrekpunt dat die koerant gestig is deur ’n politikus wat lid was
van die eerste demokraties-verkose regerende party, die United Democratic Front (UDF), het hierdie
navorsing die impak van media-eienaarskap op die politieke rol van die joernalistieke praktyke van
die koerant in Malawi se demokratisering ondersoek. Tussen 2002 en 2012 is Malawi deur drie
president regeer – Bakili Muluzi van die UDF van 1994 tot 2004, Bingu wa Mutharika van die
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) van 2004 tot 2012, en Joyce Banda van die People’s Party (PP)
van 2012 tot 2014 – al drie was vyandiggesind teenoor die Weekend Nation.
In ag genome dat die Weekend Nation aan ’n politikus behoort, is die kritiese politieke ekonomie van
die media-teorie die mees toepaslike teoretiese vertrekpunt vir hierdie studie. In medianavorsing dui
dié teorie daarop dat die eienaar die inhoud van die media-instelling bepaal deur hetsy inmenging in
die dag tot dag uitvoering van pligte, of deur algemene doelwitte en veronderstellings wat gestel
word, en deur bestuurders en joernaliste aan te stel wat dit sal uitvoer binne die bepalings van die
toegewysde hulpbronne. Die studie het kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie toegepas, spesifiek indiepte-
onderhoude en kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalsie. Die bevindings dui daarop dat die eienaarskap
van die koerant geen direkte invloed op die joernaliste se politieke rol in die versterking van
demokrasie en goeie bestuur in Malawi gehad het nie. Dit het vasgestel dat, ondanks die eienaarskap
van die Weekend Nation aan ’n prominente en invloedryke politikus, die redaksionele
onafhanklikheid nie gekompromitteer is nie. In teenstelling met algemene verwagtings het die studie
bevind dat die Weekend Nation in Malawi krities ingestel was teenoor die politieke elite sonder om
enige onderskeid te tref.
Hoewel dit nie ’n fokus van die studie was nie, het dit ook aangedui dat markkragte, in
ooreenstemming met die kritiese politieke ekonomie-teorie, tog ’n impak op die Weekend Nation se
redaksionele onafhanklikheid gehad het. Die stewe na groter advertensie-inkomste het tot ’n mate die
stryd vir algehele redaksionele onafhanklikheid ondermyn.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/97883 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Gunde, Anthony Mavuto |
| Contributors | Sesanti, Simphiwe, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Journalism |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xv, 239 pages |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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