Browsing by Author "Botha, Marco"

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    LIP Woordfeeskoerant 2008
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2008) Botha, Marco; Gopal, Thania; Matthee, Stephan; Thormählen, Jóhann; Keogh, Janice; Detel, Hanne; Meads, Carolyn; Neethling, Marlene; Boswell, Jason; Dodo, Peni; Basson, Nozuko; Francis, Philippa; Boonzaier, Christiaan; De Villiers, Delia; Engelbrecht, Lezette; Hugo, Sven; Lamprecht, Ingé; Robertson, Crystal; Smit, Susan; Trussell, Tarryn Kay; Van der Heever, Vania; Woudstra, Amelia-May; Musekwa, Rudzani
    Lize Beekman het geskryf woorde het vlerke. Dit maak vir my sin. Tyd kan glo vlieg en toe ons met woorde begin werk om LIP aanmekaar te sit, het dit ‘n realiteit geword. Woorde kan ook vlieg! Dit vlieg ver en kry voete. Daar waar dit aanklank vind, ontstig, ontroer, laat lag, laat huil, laat hoendervleis kry en waardering kweek. Dit trap diep op plekke, skop elders, drentel hier en hardloop daar, maar staan nooit stil nie. In al hierdie oomblikke kry woorde betekenis en gee aan die leser vlerke om te reis waar praat, luister en kyk nie kan nie. Ek glo dis wat LIP vir jou gaan doen. Daar was te veel stories en te min papier. Ons moes woorde sny en wysig. Ek dink aan die skitterende Drukkoker en ‘n Ander Tongval waarby ons weens logistieke redes nie by uitgekom het nie. Daarom noem ek hulle nou! Ons woorde is steeds eerlik, speels en dartelend. Dis goed so! Lekker Lip-aflek!
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    Politics and pandemics: political bias in United States media reports on various political actors during the Covid-19 Pandemic
    (2023-03) Botha, Marco; Lambrechts, Derica; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Media bias is a growing concern in a world where information is readily provided by anybody who wishes to do so. Mainstream media houses usually associate with specific political points of view, especially in the polarised United States (US). In this study, the researcher aimed to determine the political bias of three US news publications, the left-leaning The New Yorker, centrist The Hill, and the right-leaning New York Post, during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic (2020), which coincided with the run-up to the presidential election. The publications' bias towards three political actors was tested, namely President Donald Trump, the government, and the public. The research question therefore was: How were three publications in the United States biased in their reporting on the actions and behaviour of different political actors in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic? This bias was determined by analysing the content of 300 randomly sampled articles published by the three news publications. The study utilizes qualitative methodology supplemented with quantitative data. The three news publications were selected based on their previously established bias, to represent the left, centre, and right of the political spectrum. It was expected that the unusual context of the pandemic, coupled with the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, would have amplified the bias in the publications, especially since certain actors politicised the pandemic to polarise US society. The Republicans, for example, presented science as a tool used by the liberal left to suppress the US public, while the Democrats pointed at the country's inequality and rampant discrimination under conservative Republican rule. The three main objectives of the study were to test the political bias of the publications; to determine the general tone of the sampled articles, as this may impact the political bias; and lastly, a closer examination of several specific attributes of the articles that could serve as indicators of bias. These attributes were coded as critical or supportive; alarming or reassuring; polarising; and misinformation or disinformation. The results of the content analysis firstly showed that the general tone of the articles in all three publications was overwhelmingly negative. Secondly, the results of the content analysis indicated that the political bias in all three publications was overwhelmingly centrist. Looking more closely at how the three publications dealt with the different subcategories, an interesting picture emerged. Confirming the previously established bias, coverage by The Hill was almost exclusively unbiased. The New Yorker's coverage was also largely unbiased, but with a definite liberal inclination. The surprising result was that of the New York Post, which despite its strong centrist coverage showed only a very slight conservative bias, and even published left-leaning articles. This was unexpected, as this publication was a vocal supporter of the re-election of Trump as president. In a politically increasingly unstable world, the media should be tested continuously, as they are not only the direct providers of crucial information, but they also serve to keep leaders of all levels in check.
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    Stellenbosch Media Forum 2008
    (Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University, 2008) Matthee, Stephan; Smit, Susan; Meads, Carolyn; Robertson, Crystal; Dodo, Peni; Boswell, Jason; Boonzaier, Christiaan; Basson, Nozuko; Woudstra, Amelia-May; Trussell, Tarryn Kay; Gopal, Thania; Thormahlen, Johann; Engelbrecht, Lezette; Neethling, Marlene; Lamprecht, Ingé; Hugo, Sven; Keogh, Janice; Botha, Marco; Francis, Philippa; De Villiers, Delia; Van der Heever, Vania; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
    Earlier this year Koos Bekker, owner of Media24, said he would not buy the New York Times even though his company could afford it. According to Moneyweb.co.za Bekker said the days of print media are numbered and the New York Times is old news. Die afgelope klompie jare het die media 'n transformasie ondergaan. In Suid-Afrika spesifiek is talle beperkinge op die media in die post-94-era opgehef. Die media funksioneer in 'n vryemark-stelsel en die algemene persepsie is dat dit meer fokus op die kommersiele as tevore. Met die ekonomiese afplatting is daar boonop gerugte van personeelverminderings en word selfs meer verwag van die Gideonsbende wat in die nuuskantore oorbly. Exposure to a variety of TV channels and internet websites is increasing the visual stimulation of media audiences. Media products are being redesigned to satisfy specific needs, in specific niches. One big change in terms of design is that more - and bigger - visuals and less text are being used. Vanjaar het e.tv die eerste 24-uur-nuuskanaal in Suid-Afrika geloods en al hoe meer drukmediaprodukte fokus op hul aanlyn-teenwoordigheid. Die Mail & Guardian het in Junie sy webtuiste herontwerp en sy groepblog, Thoughtleader, het die prys vir die Beste Suid-Afrikaanse Blog in die 2008 Suid-Afrikaanse Blogtoekennnings gekry. The Times, die Sunday Times se interaktiewe dagblad, het vanjaar sy eerste verjaarsdag gevier en bewys (sover) dat die konsep van 'n koerant wat met 'n webblad geintegreer is, wel werk. We are living in exciting times as far as development in the media is concerned. And that is why this year's edition of SMF has as its theme "Change in the media". Die veranderende media is hoofsaaklik te danke aan die ontwikkeling van tegnologie, soos dat jy jou nuus op jou selfoon kan kry. Nuttig, veral in Suid-Afrika waar die toegang tot breebandinternet gebrekkig is. Die koms van blogs noop koerante nou om onmiddellikheid en interaksie na te volg. These developments also influence journalists, sources and their audiences. With the advent of democracy in South Africa, changes in the consumer demographics of certain media products have occurred. And, oh yes, women have also advanced in the media since 1994, both as producers of media, and how they are represented. And then there is the youth, who "owns" new media technologies. And the disabled, who can get access to a new world through media technology. But, there are still many people in South Africa who do not have access to media, because of socio-economic circumstances: too poor to own the latest technology; illiterate and forgotten by the media elites. Die rol van die media, om debat te stimuleer, as waghond op te tree en die stem van die stemloses te wees, word deur al hierdie veranderings uitgedaag. Toenemende kommersialisering kan mediavryheid van binne erodeer. En dan is daar steeds die moontlikheid van politieke inmenging, al is mediavryheid grondwetlik verskans. Tradisionele kunsvorme in die media, soos kortverhale, radiodramas en boekresensies word gemarginaliseer, maar tog is daar die moontlikheid dat hulle kan aanpas en bly voortbestaan. Another challenge is the media's coverage of environmental issues, which has to be in sync with the phenomenon of global warming. Sport reporting also has to adapt to new developments, with sport writers now needing to have a knowledge of economics and politics as well. Een ding is seker: maatskappye, mense, produkte en onderwerpe wat by die media betrokke is, sal soos 'n verkleurmannetjie moet aanpas om te kan oorleef.