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Item Open Access Thinking about mass communication research(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Fourie, Pieter J.The article presents an argument for a return to phenomenological (mass) communication research. The article is informed by social semiotics' emphasis on the multimodality of communication and phenomenological hermeneutics' emphasis on the development of a semiotic consciousness. The central argument is that the technology and market-driven media, media landscape and media culture have created a media studies which disregards and overlooks the phenomenological nature of mediated communication. The article expands on and substantiates this criticism as it has emerged from, what for the purpose of this article, is called a group of French, Harvard and Bloomington academics. As a solution the article argues for a phenomenological approach, taking as its point of departure the basic constructs of what constitutes mass communication, viz. signification, dialogue, rhetoric, and representation.Item Open Access Knowledge management in higher education(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Coetzee, MerciaAbstract not availableItem Open Access Visually representing social change - the South African social documentary photographer and the struggle(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Saayman-Hattingh, HeidiThis research argues that the 1976 Soweto Uprisings as well as the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990 and the first democratic elections held in 1994 impacted significantly on the South African social documentary photographer, and turned out to be major turning points within the South African social documentary photography genre. Based on this, this study sets out to firstly clarify the term social documentary photography as a particular type of visual communication within the documentary genre on an international level by briefly conducting a literature study on the emergence and subsequent use of the term social documentary photography. Secondly the study places in context the practice of social documentary photography in South Africa prior to the 1980s by reviewing possible societal, political and international factors of impact. This is achieved through a literature study as well as through the re-examining of openended interviews with South African social documentary photographers conducted as part of the author's doctoral study. Finally, by analysing and synthesising the possible factors of influence on the South African social documentary photographer complexities inherent in the term “struggle photography” can be directly linked to political change as South Africa moved towards a democratic society.Item Open Access Stakeholder engagement: a crucial element in the governance of corporate reputation(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Rensburg, Ronél; De Beer, EstelleThe King III Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa (with a separate chapter on Governing Stakeholder Relationships) highlights the importance of stakeholder management in corporate governance. For the first time the inclusive approach to stakeholder relationship management is explained more fully and principles on how stakeholder relationships can be managed in a corporate governance context are provided. These have implications for corporate communication strategy in all organisations. The inclusion of all stakeholders in corporate issues has taken centre stage in corporate governance. In any given communication situation, a stakeholder could play many roles in an internal or external organisational environment. Total stakeholder involvement (engagement) is crucial and will have implications for organisational practices, reputation and corporate sustainability. The explosion in social media and networking has empowered stakeholders beyond imagination. Their roles are no longer merely employees, clients or the community in general, but on the virtual stage of communication, stakeholders are taking on roles as citizen editors, journalists, writers, recipients and interpreters of their own communication material. They can become reputation ambassadors or demolishers in the corporate environment. In this continuous neo-corporate communication environment, it is not about communication control, but about communication power-sharing. In this article stakeholder engagement as an allinclusive communication management approach will be illustrated by considering stakeholder theory, corporate governance and integrated reporting and the growing importance of reputation management.Item Open Access Recurring crisis of credibility? The state of public relations in South Africa(Department of Communication, University of the Free State, 2011) Roodt, ZarineThis article is based on the notion that Prisa's approaching 55th anniversary presents an opportunity to reflect on the current state of public relations in South Africa – a state of affairs brought into sharper focus by the substantive change in the country subsequent to 1994's new political dispensation. This qualitative field survey asked the following research question: How do the presidents of Prisa who have served terms of office since 1994 view the current state of public relations in this country? The purposive sample resulted in ten respondents and an interview strategy was utilised to elicit responses in terms of an interview schedule. The thematic analysis brought about a two-fold picture: there appears to be increasing pressure on the public relations industry from the outside, with a commensurate collapse from within the industry itself. The article concludes that in many respects this study underscores the fact that not much has changed in the public relations industry; therefore, one could argue that the findings point to a recurring crisis of credibility in the South African public relations industry.Item Open Access Different salves for different sores: international research remedies for a South African communication context(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Greeff, W. J.A fact so widely accepted as to be considered common sense is that communication is influenced by the context in which it functions. It is for this reason that there is no single communication-related measurement scale suitable for all circumstances (Le Roux 2008: 264; Devlin 2003: 27). Yet, communication researchers continually make use of existing communication research methods in order to strengthen reliability and validity in research and to standardise measurement instruments for comparability of results. In most cases, these methods originate in the international arena. Le Roux (2008) proposed methods for adapting Communication Satisfaction and Relationship scales to the South African, third-world context specifically for use within the mining industry of South Africa. This article reports on a study testing Le Roux's (2008) adapted versions alongside those of the original questionnaires at the Gautrain project. The study confirmed Le Roux's adaptations, and adds additional recommendations for the distribution and administering of internationally generated questionnaires within the mining and construction industry of South Africa specifically, and the third-world context in general.Item Open Access A Q-methodology analysis of journalists' reflection on learning at work(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Marc, CaldwellJournalism education and training has always suffered from doubts about its actual relevance to the preparation of young journalists entering the industry. It is a doubt encouraged by imaginaries such as the theory-practice dichotomy that suggests that theory can happen in one site of practice, and practice can be found in another; and that there exists a transition from one site to the other. The practice theory of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (1991) suggests that practice is primary in both sites; in this case, schools of journalism and the news industry. The concept of legitimate peripheral participation, with its emphasis on situated learning, can be used to build a case for a journalism education focused primarily on building the kinds of learning that make the mentorship found in industry possible and indeed viable. Journalism education then becomes a proper preparation for learning “on the job”. This study used Qmethodology to explore the opinions of journalists' reflections on their most effective learning, and found significant similarities between their experience and the type of learning theory advocated by Lave and Wenger.Item Open Access All politics is local: suggestions for an editorial policy on political news for community media(Department of Communication, University of Free State, 2011) Marais, Willemien; Linström, MargaretIn South Africa, the three spheres of government perform distinct functions in terms of the Constitution. By spreading the responsibilities of government across national, provincial and local structures, the Constitution ensures that government does not become too far removed from citizens. If local government is the closest level of interaction for citizens, then media at community level provide the link for that interaction. It is against this backdrop that this article views the quote widely attributed to American congressman Tip O'Neil: All politics is local. Political news has social importance for virtually everyone (Gelman 2011). On the flip side of the coin, people are what matter in terms of community media (Lauterer 1995: 9). This implies that even at grassroots level, media should have an editorial policy on political reporting if they want their editorial content to be relevant to the community they are serving. This loyalty to the needs of the community is the essence of media at grassroots level (Milne, Rau, Du Toit & Mdlongwa 2006: 3-4). This article reports on a qualitative content analysis of the existing editorial policies of community radio stations and newspapers in the Mangaung area in the Free State. Based on these findings, suggestions are made for a framework to draw up an editorial policy on political news for community media.Item Open Access The Outsiders: making the existential tradition of communication theory come alive(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) De Wet, Johann. C.Albert Camus (1913-1960), recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, was one of France's greatest post-war writers. He published his first novel, The Outsider (L'Etranger), in 1942. Given that The Outsider is widely regarded as a classic existentialist work, the following research question is posed in this article: How, and to what extent, does the existential tradition of communication theory feature in the mentioned work? The Penguin edition of the novel (translated from the French by Joseph Laredo and published in 1983) is used in the study. With regard to the methodology used, the study necessitated in the main research of literature on The Outsider, existentialism and existential communication. The methods employed were analytical in order to determine the relationship between The Outsider, existentialism and existential communication; and critical, for purposes of highlighting aspects of the existential tradition of communication theory that can be read in the novel. A brief summation of the storyline is provided with particular focus on the communication of the protagonist, Meursault, followed by Camus's short interpretation of the novel which he wrote as a preface to the American university edition in 1955. Thereafter the gist of an existential perspective on communication and some recurring themes in existentialism are provided to facilitate and contextualise the ensuing analysis of The Outsider. The article concludes that The Outsider persuasively captures fundamental traits of the existential tradition of communication theory.Item Open Access Public discourse and the attitudes of university students towards homosexuality as a sexual orientation(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Jordaan, ChristinaThe legalisation of same-sex marriages in South Africa (1999) was a natural progression from the articles of the South African Constitution (1996), particularly those contained in the Bill of Rights, that safeguard individuals from any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation. A legal right to protection against discrimination does not, however, translate to a society free of prejudice and (covert) discrimination, and this can be clearly seen in the way that deeply biased attitudes towards homosexuality1 emerge in public discourse at the level of the ordinary citizen, as well as the politically powerful. The public statements expressing extreme homophobia by a number of high profile individuals in recent years is of particular concern because it not only communicates prejudicial attitude through message transmission, but reinforces such attitudes amongst the intended audience. This kind of prejudicial communication is particularly insidious because it is impossible to prove cause and effect, even though legislation against hate speech is based on the assumption that speech communication can have a measurable harmful effect. This article explores the attitudes towards alternative sexual orientation of a sample group of 58 third-year B.Ed. students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. From the research results reported in this article it appears that there is at least an emerging tolerance towards gays and lesbians amongst the sample of educated young South Africans. This is encouraging in view of the promotion of human rights, social justice and inclusion in a democratic South Africa.Item Open Access 'n Fantasietema-analasie van Maas se artikel 666 is net 'n syfer(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Terblanche, Lydie; Jordaan, DanieGiven the reality of persuasive communication practices in South Africa, the question arises as to which rational and/or non-rational characteristics of the contents of rhetorical messages contribute to the way in which recipients of such messages are so dramatically affected by them that they are motivated to display certain behaviour. It would seem that the symbolic convergence theory (SCT), along with its methodology, fantasy theme analysis (FTA), as developed by Bormann (1972) and his colleagues, is especially appropriate to explain this phenomenon. The identification and observance of a comparatively large number of possible phases in FTA aids the critic in his/her task to acquire the skills and proficiencies that are essential for the analysis of fantasy themes. On close examination rhetorical criticism is an art form that “requires” a competent rhetorical critic to display a unique approach, as well as the application of his/her own creative insights in the analysis of symbolic realities. Based on the principles of FTA, this article gives an indication as to why Deon Maas, with reference to his article 666 is net 'n syfer, is regarded as a controversial figure. In particular, an investigation is carried out in respect of the role played by the chaining out of fantasy themes in the creation of a rhetorical vision and the motivation of behaviour relating to the events surrounding the Maas article.Item Open Access The 2011 local elections campaigns in the Tlokwe Municipality, North-West Province: enhancing participatory governance?(Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State, 2011) Fourie, LynnetteThe South African Local Government Municipal Systems Act (Act 32 of 2000) requires participatory governance. Although this Act is not concerned with electoral participation in the first instance, it is argued that it also sets the tone for electoral communication. In the spirit of participatory governance it could be expected of political parties to inform the electorate about issues relevant to local government, stimulate debate, motivate voters to participate in the elections and promote democratic values. Against this background, this article endeavours to investigate to what extent the campaigns of political parties in the 2011 local elections displayed the context of local developmental government and enhanced participatory governance. A qualitative content analysis was done of the election material (manifestos, posters, television advertisements and pamphlets) of the ANC, DA, FF+ and Cope in the Tlokwe Municipality. It was found that all the parties adhered to the spirit of and actively promoted local developmental government in their manifestos, although they did so to a lesser extent in the more popular media (posters, television advertisements and pamphlets). It was concluded that these messages were not harmful to the sustainability of local developmental democracy.