Browsing by Author "Dinabantu, Keith Sindile"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Dinabantu, Keith Sindile; Botma, Gawie; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the normative role of three corporately owned community newspapers and provides vital contribution to the study of community press in the digital era. Explored literature highlights that corporately owned community newspapers dominate the local press ecosystem. This study includes both Media24’s District Mail and Eikestad Nuus, and Independent Media Group’s Northern News. This study acknowledges different ownership patterns in the South African community newspaper ecosystem. These are community- owned not-for-profit, independent for-profit, and corporately owned community newspapers. However, available literature largely focuses on normative role of community-owned not-for-profit newspapers, and minimal on corporately owned press. Theoretical points of departure draw from the insights of normative theory of media and information society theory. These theories helped to outline community newspaper’s normative function, and the impact of digital media on their daily journalistic operations. Methodologically, this study adopted a qualitative design, with conducted interviews with editors, journalists, and analysis of documents as data collection methods. These documents helped to identify whether these newspapers are, as widely known in print media sector, are also facing challenges associated with declining circulations. This study’s findings highlight the newspapers endeavour to fulfil their ideal role as prescribed by normative theory of media. These roles include production of hyperlocal content, being a watchdog, and promotion of community participation in news production. The challenges they face, inter alia - are dwindling print circulation, as highlighted by in the literature review chapter of this study. Reader’s shift to digital news, budget cuts, and pressure to acquire multi-skilled journalists are the cause for these challenges. Despite the challenges, respondents from these corporately owned newspapers believe their role remains important as key stakeholders of the community.