Masters Degrees (Journalism)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/634

Browse

Browsing Masters Degrees (Journalism) by browse.metadata.advisor "Botma, Gabriel Johannes"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An exploration of four selected South African digital news publications’ news dissemination and audience interaction through Instagram
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Gilliland, Wianda; Botma, Gabriel Johannes; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the utilisation of Instagram by four prominent South African digital news publications, namely Maroela Media, News24, Netwerk24 and TimesLIVE. This study focused on the ways in which the news publications are making use of Instagram’s various microformats and features, as well as ways in which audiences engage with the news publications on Instagram. Instagram’s ability to afford journalists novel ways to package content while also affording users to easily engage with the content arguably creates an opportunity for journalism to gain audiences. Academic research in this area is limited, especially within the South African context. The study worked within the democratic participant theory and the gatekeeping theory. The researcher employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, including semi-structured interviews and statistical social media data. The main findings from this study were that although Instagram have been used by Netwerk24, News24, TimesLIVE and Maroela Media around 4 years already, it remains a secondary social media platform. This is despite Instagram’s still rapidly growing local user base and the fact that younger audiences – which are sought after – are more present on Instagram than Facebook, which is still the primary social media platform for South African news publications. Instagram, however, is perceived by the journalists and editors from the selected news publications to have untapped potential and opportunity for journalism. The current utilisation of Instagram by Maroela Media, Netwerk24, News24 and TimesLIVE is not according to what Instagram’s apparent potential – for both news dissemination and audience engagement – is perceived to be.