Poster themes in Bloemfontein during the 2004 general election campaign
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Date
2004
Authors
De Wet, Johann C.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
This article essentially focuses on the political poster as a medium for political
communication and as a propaganda medium during an election campaign. An
introductory discussion is followed by an analysis of the thematic content of party
political posters which appeared in the city of Bloemfontein during the period 9
February 2004 to 14 April 2004 - the official campaign period for South Africa's third
democratic general election. The analysis focuses particularly on the posters
constructed by the four parties which gained seats in the Free State Legislature, namely
the African National Congress (ANC with 25 seats), the Democratic Alliance (DA with
3 seats), the Freedom Front Plus (FF+ with 1 seat) and the African Christian
Democratic Party (ACDP with 1 seat). A total of thirteen parties contested the Free
Siate Provincial election. The poster themes of two parties, the New National Party
(NNP) and National Action (NA), which were exceptionally visible in the poster war in
Bloemfontein during the election campaign and which gained no representation in the
Free State Legislature, are included in the discussion. The interpretation of poster
messages is linked to the specific context in which they appeared. Meanings can only
be ascribed within a given context or, in this case, socio-political and economic
circumstance.
Description
Keywords
Bloemfontein, South Africa, Political communication, Posters, Election campaign, General election
Citation
De Wet. J. C. (2004). Poster themes in Bloemfontein during the 2004 general election campaign. Communitas, 9(1), 105-115.