- Title
- A study of South African journalists' perceptions of their roles in reporting on social conflict and how these relate to concepts of peace journalism
- Creator
- Du Toit, Peter Andrew
- Subject
- Journalists -- South Africa
- Subject
- Social conflict -- South Africa
- Subject
- Peace-building -- South Africa
- Date Issued
- 2013
- Date
- 2013
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MPhil
- Identifier
- vital:8247
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011639
- Identifier
- Journalists -- South Africa
- Identifier
- Social conflict -- South Africa
- Identifier
- Peace-building -- South Africa
- Description
- Set against a backdrop of ongoing social conflict in the country, this study sets out to explore how South African journalists understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to reporting on conflict. The study seeks to determine whether journalists believe they have a constructive contribution to make in the peaceful management and resolution of social conflict. It also seeks to establish whether journalists see themselves as being able to contribute to creating conditions that can facilitate dialogue and constructive engagement. Furthermore the study aims to explore the extent to which the views and perceptions of South African journalists could be said to be consistent with the ideas put forward in the emerging field of peace journalism. In seeking to address these questions the study begins by identifying a core set of guidelines that could be said to characteristic of peace journalism. It then draws on in-depth interviews conducted with 12 experienced reporters to gain a sense of how journalists understand their roles. The 12 reporters were drawn from mainstream newspapers from South Africa’s main metropolitan areas. Following an analysis of these interviews the study found that many journalists see themselves as having a positive contribution to make towards peacemaking and peace building. However, these contributions, they argue, must be seen as the product of good reporting rather than as emanating from deliberate attempts to intervene in conflict. The study then contrasted the journalists’ perceptions with the principles and normative guidelines proposed by peace journalism and found that many of the journalists’ beliefs are consistent with peace journalism. It appears that, while they may not directly call themselves peace journalists, many of the reporters interviewed saw themselves as playing roles similar to those advocated by peace journalism.
- Format
- vii, 121 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Arts
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
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NMMU School of Governmental and Social Sciences
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