Browsing by Author "Rossouw, Elna"

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    Die fragmentasie in die Suid-Afrikaanse vrouetydskrifmark : die invloed van "vrou-gerigte" nistydskrifte op die "tradisionele algemene belangstelling"-vrouetydskrif : gaan die "tradisionele algemene belangstelling" Suid-Afrikaanse vrouetydskrif die vloedgolf nuwe "vrou-gerigte" nistydskrif oorleef?
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005-04) Rossouw, Elna; Rabe, Lizette; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The appearance and content of magazines in the South African consumer market has changed drastically during the past two decades. Where once only a handful of women’s magazines existed from which readers could choose, shelves in shops today are filled to capacity with glossy publications which address every possible need, interest and desire of feminine readers. This diversification in the South African women’s magazine market happened almost overnight and there is no doubt that the advent of the niche market of women-focused magazines has changed the landscape of the South African magazine. The established traditional women’s magazine of broad general interest had to take cognizance meticulously of the worldwide trend and of various economical, political and socio-cultural factors influencing the successful publication of women’s magazines locally. The aim of this study is to see how the advent and growth of niche-market magazines focused exclusively on matters of interest specifically to women such as home, décor, garden, food, health, lifestyle, handcrafts and parenting have affected the world of the “traditional” South African women’s magazine. The researcher endeavours to answer the question as to whether the traditional women’s magazine of general interest can survive the flood of new “women-directed” magazines and has concluded that in order not only to survive, but to maintain necessary profit margins, the traditional general interest women’s magazine is going to have to adapt its contents urgently and continuously to the needs of its readers.
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    Making sense of the message: An analysis of the editor’s letter in three archetypal South African women’s magazines at the start of the 21st century
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Rossouw, Elna; Rabe, Lizette; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The notion of a magazine as “social barometer” in a particular era is widely acknowledged. Moreover, it is argued that women’s magazines especially provide essential information about society and cultures, including in the “messages” conveyed in the editors’ letters to their respective audiences. Since South Africa’s democratisation, the political and socio-economic contexts in the country have changed noticeably, and the euphoria associated with the naissance of democracy has dissipated. This study sets out to determine the “message” in the editors’ letter of three archetypal South African women’s magazines during the first 17 years of the 21st century. It is situated within Production-Based Research on women’s magazines, while Critical Political Economy (CPE), advancing to Contemporary Political Economy, and Feminism were utilised as the theoretical points of departure. These paradigms offer an all-inclusive analysis of the “message” in the editors’ letters in the three “alpha” women’s magazines studied. As such, the study attempts to “make sense of the message” in SARIE, FAIRLADY and TRUELOVE – the selected magazines. Historiography as research method is applied to give context to South African magazine studies. This is followed by Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) – employing ATLAS.ti® as a software package – to determine how the editors’ letters reflect on the political and socio-economic contexts in South Africa. Historiography confirmed the powerful relationship between magazines and societies, and the concept of the magazine as “social barometer”. It corroborated that magazines mirror society, and vice versa. The QCA deduced that the origin and development of the three magazines were set against their specific ideological views and market-driven ideals in response to political and socio-economic contexts. Thus, in “making sense of the message” in these magazines, I infer that these magazines reflect the political and socio-economic issues of a young, democratic society and thereby are “social barometers” of their time. The study confirms the statement by Jane Raphaely, doyenne of South African women’s magazines, that women’s magazines gave “women in South Africa a significant soapbox with a huge sound system that allowed even the softest voice to reverberate as a very loud shout”. It can be concluded that this study proves the importance of media content, and specifically the editor’s letter of a women’s magazine, as a powerful instrument to persuade, inspire and inform the audience, proving that a magazine, through the voice or “message” of the editor, acts as “social barometer” of its time.
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    Women’s magazines in a 21st century democratic South Africa : merely parrot-talk or truly shape-shifters?
    (IAMCR, 2014) Rossouw, Elna; Rabe, Lizette
    The magazine as a “social barometer” of a particular society is widely acknowledged. Furthermore, it is argued that women’s magazines provide essential information about society and cultures, thus helping readers think about themselves as contributors in self-governing societies. Since Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first democratically elected black president on 10 May 1994, the country’s socio-political sphere changed significantly. As such, this paper analyses the editor’s letter in True Love – an archetypal South African women’s magazine aimed at black readers – during 2004, 2009 and 2014 when the first general elections of the 21st century took place. The aim of this paper is to understand what the messages in the editor’s letter are about society and culture, realising that magazines mirror society and society mirrors magazines. It explores whether the editorials in this selected sample of True Love magazines can be described as merely “parrot-talk” or truly “shape shifters”?