2005 Honours Abstracts
From SA Online Journalism
[edit] Are South African news websites currently upholding the best international standards in acknowledging error and publishing corrections?
- Author: Beverley Tucker, 2005
- Email: odyssey-bev@iafrica.com
Abstract
Are South African news websites currently upholding the best international standards in acknowledging error and publishing corrections?
This paper sets out to determine whether the South African online news media adheres, in both policy and practice, to one of the fundamental ethical precepts of traditional journalism: acknowledging and correcting error. The question is highly relevant given the technological nature of the medium which allows errors to be disposed of without trace and therefore, potentially, without accountability.
Media technology, convergence and agglomeration together with cultural changes and public perceptions of the media have helped fragment audiences and heighten competition in the industry. In their bid to improve stock performances, companies cut spending and adapt their products to compete with the “infotainment�? industries. Journalists are required to make ethical decisions under increasing time and resource pressures. Meanwhile, the public, sensing that the news media is driven by economics rather than professionalism or the public interest, has grown increasingly cynical towards journalism (Pew, 2005). The way in which the online news media deals with error and correction is central to the credibility of the media.
The outcome of this research suggests that South Africa’s online news media rates poorly compared to its counterparts in Britain and the US. Although there are mitigating factors for this, there appears to be a need for better compliance. This might be achieved by establishing a uniform industry code for news sites to use when dealing with error online. File:Tucker2005.pdf
[edit] Journalism as a conversation: A study of the nature and effect of journalist-user interactivity on DITonline, a South African student news website
- Author: Richard Frank, 2005
- Email: Richard@flowsa.com
Abstract In recent years there has been a trend towards more interactive journalism in both online and traditional media. Calls for civic or public journalism in the traditional media and the recent successes of participatory and collaborative journalism on the Internet are presenting new challenges to the journalistic profession. This study considers the challenges and opportunities of interactive journalism by describing journalism-user interaction on DITonline, a student news website based at the Durban Institute of Technology. The study focuses on the communication between journalists and users on discussion forums that are attached to news stories. The study shows that student journalists generally engage with users in an interactive, positive and constructive way. Interviews with former and current student journalists at the website revealed that the selection and production of news is significantly affected by the way users interact with the content on the site.
Are South African online news sites embracing the opportunities of non-linear storytelling? File:Frank.pdf
[edit] A qualitative and quantitative study to assess whether South African online news sites are embracing the potential for non-linear storytelling that internet technology presents.
- Author: Jade Archer, 2005
- Email: quiver@global.co.za
Abstract
The internet offers many opportunities for online news sites to revolutionise the way in which news stories and features are delivered. Despite this potential for original and creative non-linear storytelling, South African sites are failing to embrace the non-linear structure. Through extensive content analysis, it was found that South African sites also lag behind their American counterparts in their application of innovative features like interactivity, multimediality and hypertextuality – features specific to the internet. This failure to embrace the potential that the internet offers is explained largely by the lack of resources, time and skill in South African news rooms to fund such labour intensive story forms, as was discovered through the qualitative research.
[edit] The Birth of Online Student Journalism: An analysis of student news websites in South Africa using a benchmark of interactivity, multimediality and hypertextuality.
- Author: Hila Bouzaglou, 2005
- Email: hilabouzaglou@telkomsa.net
Abstract
As the Internet continues to grow as a valued source of news, so it becomes important to teach journalism students how to harness the web to produce informative, entertaining and educative online news. Although student online journalism has a long way to go before it reaches its full potential, it is possible to see that this niche market is growing and may indeed lead the mainstream online media in some aspects.
[edit] Are women under-represented in the online media industry in South Africa?
- Author: Marin Gorrie, 2005
- Email: maxjourn@gmail.com
Abstract
Online news media has been in existence for the past eleven years in South Africa, when the eM&G, an online sister publication of the Mail&Guardian weekly, was first published in 1994. Online journalism, as a new entity, offered the media many exciting possibilities. As a new media form, it was thought to address issues that were passed over in the media world, for example, empowering women. But eleven years on in a growing industry, women are still under-represented in the media workforce. In addition, they find it difficult to move into senior, decision-making and management positions. The same can be said for online media in South Africa. This research aimed to uncover whether women in South African online media are under-represented in the workforce as well as in management and decision-making positions. Of the three online news sites surveyed, two sites had a minor number of women employed and in senior management. One of the three, SABCnews.com was the exception rather than the rule, in that in middle and senior management it has a larger number of women employed.
[edit] How blurred are the lines between editorial content and advertising/branding in South African online journalism
- Author: Nicholas de Villiers
As a result of the conceptualisation and development of highly successful brand and brand identities, online publications have lost sight of the ideals of ‘good’ online journalism as defined by Dueze (1998), Buckland (2005), and Manoim (2000). This, in part, has happened as a consequence of what online researchers such as Manoim (2000) and Berger (2004) refer to as “shovelware.�?
This marriage between the two, branding and “shoveling�?, has the potential to create a trend that will act negatively on an already struggling online journalism industry. The online journalism industry in South Africa struggles to finance websites and sometimes even reach financial breakeven. The financial situation is exacerbated by the constant danger of being ousted out of the market by a larger corporation with infinite resources (respondents’ Q3).
The related influences of advertising are also taken into consideration. This research study aims to understand the conflicting issues of successful online branding and its influence on online journalism. The example of the South African website, WOMEN 24, under the Naspers umbrella, uses branding to power the online publication and its mother company’s interest i.e. the sale of more magazines. This is explored. File:Devilliers.pdf
[edit] How interactive are South African news websites compared to other international news sites?
- Author: Seodi Isaac Ralephenya
Compared to other newspapers in developed countries, South African news sites are lacking behind in being interactive. They are slow in adopting the interactivity enabling technologies to their web sites, and this can be attributed to a number of reasons. Information from the interviews conducted for this research shows that the lack of adequate technology is the main discouraging for South African news sites to invest more in multimedia reporting. The NY Times is by far a very interactive new site and should be seen as a leader. File:Ralephenya.pdf
