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The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613753810354176 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Dinabantu, Keith Sindile |
| author2 | Botma, Gawie |
| author_browse | Botma, Gawie Dinabantu, Keith Sindile |
| author_facet | Botma, Gawie Dinabantu, Keith Sindile |
| author_sort | Dinabantu, Keith Sindile |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124773 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:09.576Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/124773 The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa Dinabantu, Keith Sindile Botma, Gawie Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. Media24 (FIRM) Local mass media -- Economic aspects -- South Africa South African newspapers Community newspapers -- Economic aspects -- South Africa Journalism Electronic newspapers -- South Africa Newspapers -- Ownership -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the normative role of three corporately owned community newspapers and provides vital contribution to the study of community press in the digital era. Explored literature highlights that corporately owned community newspapers dominate the local press ecosystem. This study includes both Media24’s District Mail and Eikestad Nuus, and Independent Media Group’s Northern News. This study acknowledges different ownership patterns in the South African community newspaper ecosystem. These are community- owned not-for-profit, independent for-profit, and corporately owned community newspapers. However, available literature largely focuses on normative role of community-owned not-for-profit newspapers, and minimal on corporately owned press. Theoretical points of departure draw from the insights of normative theory of media and information society theory. These theories helped to outline community newspaper’s normative function, and the impact of digital media on their daily journalistic operations. Methodologically, this study adopted a qualitative design, with conducted interviews with editors, journalists, and analysis of documents as data collection methods. These documents helped to identify whether these newspapers are, as widely known in print media sector, are also facing challenges associated with declining circulations. This study’s findings highlight the newspapers endeavour to fulfil their ideal role as prescribed by normative theory of media. These roles include production of hyperlocal content, being a watchdog, and promotion of community participation in news production. The challenges they face, inter alia - are dwindling print circulation, as highlighted by in the literature review chapter of this study. Reader’s shift to digital news, budget cuts, and pressure to acquire multi-skilled journalists are the cause for these challenges. Despite the challenges, respondents from these corporately owned newspapers believe their role remains important as key stakeholders of the community. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie ondersoek die normatiewe rol van drie gemeenskapskoerante in korporatiewe besit. Dit lewer ’n belangrike bydrae tot navorsing oor die gemeenskapspers in die digitale era. Literatuur wat bestudeer is, beklemtoon dat gemeenskapskoerante in korporatiewe besit die plaaslike pers-ekosisteem oorheers. Hierdie studie sluit koerante van Media24, Distrikspos en Eikestadnuus, en die Independent Media Group, Northern News, in. Die studie aanvaar dat daar verskillende eienaarskap-patrone in die Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskapskoerant-ekosisteem is. Daar is koerante in gemeenskapsbesit wat nie op winsbejag gerig is nie; onafhanklike, winsbejagte koerante; en gemeenskapskoerante in korporatiewe besit. Bestaande literatuur fokus meestal op die normatiewe rol van nie-winsbejagte koerante, en nie op die korporatiewe gemeenskapspers nie. Teoretiese vertrekpunte is gebou op die insigte van normatiewe teoriee van die media- en inligtingsamelewing. Hierdie teoriee het gehelp om die normatiewe funksies van gemeenskapskoerante uiteen te sit, en die impak van digitale media op hul daaglikse joernalistieke werk te ondersoek. Metodologies is hierdie studie kwalitatief van aard. Data is ingesamel deur onderhoude te voer met redakteurs en joernaliste, asook deur dokument-analise. Hierdie dokumente het gehelp om te bepaal hoe gemeenskapskoerante te staan kom teen die uitdagings van dalende sirkulasie, ’n algemene probleem in die mediabedryf. Die studie se bevindings beklemtoon die koerante se strewe om hul ideale rol te vervul, soos dit beskryf word in normatiewe mediateorie. Hierdie rol sluit in die produksie van hiperplaaslike inhoud, die waghondrol en die bevordering van gemeenskapsdeelname in die produksie van nuus. Die uitdagings waarvoor hierdie koerante te staan kom, sluit in dalende sirkulasie van gedrukte koerante, soos in die literatuurhoofstuk van hierdie studie bespreek word. Lesers se skuif na digitale nuus, begrotings wat gesny word en druk op joernaliste om veelvuldige vaardighede aan te leer, is die oorsaak van hierdie uitdagings. Ongeag die uitdagings, meen respondente van gemeenskapskoerante in korporatiewe besit dat hul rol steeds belangrik is as sleutel-belanghebbendes in die gemeenskap. Masters 2022-02-16T16:01:49Z 2022-04-29T09:31:49Z 2022-02-16T16:01:49Z 2022-04-29T09:31:49Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124773 en_ZA Stellenbosch University ix, 74 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Media24 (FIRM) Local mass media -- Economic aspects -- South Africa South African newspapers Community newspapers -- Economic aspects -- South Africa Journalism Electronic newspapers -- South Africa Newspapers -- Ownership -- South Africa UCTD Dinabantu, Keith Sindile The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa |
| title | The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa |
| title_full | The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa |
| title_short | The normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era: District Mail, Northern News and Eikestad Nuus in South Africa |
| title_sort | normative role of the corporately owned community newspapers in the digital era district mail northern news and eikestad nuus in south africa |
| topic | Media24 (FIRM) Local mass media -- Economic aspects -- South Africa South African newspapers Community newspapers -- Economic aspects -- South Africa Journalism Electronic newspapers -- South Africa Newspapers -- Ownership -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124773 |
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