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Copy that: an analysis of homogeneity at News24 and IOL
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the homogeneity between two of South Africa’s biggest online platforms – News24 and iol. At its dawn, online news platforms were heralded as a boon for democracy due to its interactivity. A multitude of news platforms would result in a wide variety of storie...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613901972045824 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Kassiem, A’Eysha |
| author2 | Botma, Gabriel |
| author_browse | Botma, Gabriel Kassiem, A’Eysha |
| author_facet | Botma, Gabriel Kassiem, A’Eysha |
| author_sort | Kassiem, A’Eysha |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the homogeneity between two of South Africa’s biggest online platforms – News24 and iol. At its dawn, online news platforms were heralded as a boon for democracy due to its interactivity. A multitude of news platforms would result in a wide variety of stories and diverse voices. However, the demands of an always-on platform, the constant pressure of immediacy and increased competition often result in homogeneous content. The theoretical underpinning of this study is Habermas’s public sphere theory, which is centred on the role of public participation and citizen-to-citizen engagement within a democracy. The normative notion is that news informs the public. Therefore, the way news stories are structured and what information is presented is critical to the way the public is informed. Using a qualitative approach, this study employs a content comparison to analyse stories that cover the same topic or event during the week of the State of the Nation Address in 2022, up to and including President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address. The content analysis is done specifically in terms of angle, sources, structure and narrative. This study also aims to highlight in what way homogeneous stories differ. As the findings show, while online news between News24 and iol are homogeneous in subject matter, the information contained in the sampled articles is stark. This means that although these two sites do not carry replica content, the information contained in articles that cover the same topic or event are so factually different that citizens would not be able to rationally engage. This disparity in information therefore has a bearing on the quality of the conversation between citizens and, in turn, public participation in a democracy. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131707 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:30.888Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131707 Copy that: an analysis of homogeneity at News24 and IOL Kassiem, A’Eysha Botma, Gabriel Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. News24 Electronic newspapers Online journalism Media24 (Firm) Mass media Electronic newspapers Independent Online (IOL) Digital media Mass media -- Political aspects Resemblance -- Electronic information resources UCTD ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the homogeneity between two of South Africa’s biggest online platforms – News24 and iol. At its dawn, online news platforms were heralded as a boon for democracy due to its interactivity. A multitude of news platforms would result in a wide variety of stories and diverse voices. However, the demands of an always-on platform, the constant pressure of immediacy and increased competition often result in homogeneous content. The theoretical underpinning of this study is Habermas’s public sphere theory, which is centred on the role of public participation and citizen-to-citizen engagement within a democracy. The normative notion is that news informs the public. Therefore, the way news stories are structured and what information is presented is critical to the way the public is informed. Using a qualitative approach, this study employs a content comparison to analyse stories that cover the same topic or event during the week of the State of the Nation Address in 2022, up to and including President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address. The content analysis is done specifically in terms of angle, sources, structure and narrative. This study also aims to highlight in what way homogeneous stories differ. As the findings show, while online news between News24 and iol are homogeneous in subject matter, the information contained in the sampled articles is stark. This means that although these two sites do not carry replica content, the information contained in articles that cover the same topic or event are so factually different that citizens would not be able to rationally engage. This disparity in information therefore has a bearing on the quality of the conversation between citizens and, in turn, public participation in a democracy. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen Afrikaanse opsomming beskikbaar nie Masters 2025-02-20T05:50:20Z 2025-02-20T05:50:20Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131707 en Stellenbosch University 81 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | News24 Electronic newspapers Online journalism Media24 (Firm) Mass media Electronic newspapers Independent Online (IOL) Digital media Mass media -- Political aspects Resemblance -- Electronic information resources UCTD Kassiem, A’Eysha Copy that: an analysis of homogeneity at News24 and IOL |
| title | Copy that: an analysis of homogeneity at News24 and IOL |
| title_full | Copy that: an analysis of homogeneity at News24 and IOL |
| title_fullStr | Copy that: an analysis of homogeneity at News24 and IOL |
| title_full_unstemmed | Copy that: an analysis of homogeneity at News24 and IOL |
| title_short | Copy that: an analysis of homogeneity at News24 and IOL |
| title_sort | copy that an analysis of homogeneity at news24 and iol |
| topic | News24 Electronic newspapers Online journalism Media24 (Firm) Mass media Electronic newspapers Independent Online (IOL) Digital media Mass media -- Political aspects Resemblance -- Electronic information resources UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131707 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kassiemaeysha copythatananalysisofhomogeneityatnews24andiol |