Framing of school violence in the South African printed media - (mis)information to the public
Abstract
The way in which the media report on school violence influences public perceptions, gives rise
to particular attitudes and can influence decisions by policy makers. The more frequently an
issue is presented in a specific way, the more likely it is for readers to perceive the media’s
version as the truth. Although news is assumed to be reliable, comprehensive and unprejudiced,
journalism can be questioned. This study explores how school violence is framed in the South
African print media. A framing analysis was done of 92 articles that appeared in 21 different
public newspapers during one year. I found that the way in which the public is informed
encourages the perception of school violence as being an individual, rather than a societal,
problem and encourages the acceptance of assumptions and stereotypes. Typical ‘bloodand-
guts’ reporting is popular, while issues such as emotional and sexual violence in schools
appear largely unnoticed by journalists. I argue that the main frames provided to readers in
South African newspapers fail largely to elicit social responsibility, while at the same time
promoting civic indifference.
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Dimensions, coping strategies and management of school-based violence
Janse van Rensburg, Andries Petrus (University of the Free State, 2010)School represents a critical phase of an individual’s life. Apart from educational gain, learners are socialised to become productive members of society. Violence in the school environment holds a range of adverse consequences ... -
Exploring collective narratives of violence: intersections of gendered “selves” of place and time among members of an African women’s support network
Van Schalkwyk, Samantha (University of the Free State, 2014-07)Research in the field of gender-based violence and agency is often very individualistically orientated, drawing on Western theories that may not be well suited to understanding the experiences of women living in the African ... -
School violence: a multidimensional educational nemesis
Jacobs, Lynette (University of the Free State, 2012-01)English: The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa affirms the right to freedom and security for the people of South Africa, as well as the right to education. However, these rights are violated in schools by ...