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Choosing to be part of the story : the participation of the South African National Editors’ Forum in the democratising process

Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.

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Main Author: Barratt, Elizabeth
Other Authors: Rabe, Lizette
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch 2006
Subjects:
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access_status_str Open Access
author Barratt, Elizabeth
author2 Rabe, Lizette
author_browse Barratt, Elizabeth
Rabe, Lizette
author_facet Rabe, Lizette
Barratt, Elizabeth
author_sort Barratt, Elizabeth
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv University of Stellenbosch
description Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
format Thesis
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institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:43:59.926Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2006
publishDateRange 2006
publishDateSort 2006
publisher Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
publisherStr Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2935 Choosing to be part of the story : the participation of the South African National Editors’ Forum in the democratising process Barratt, Elizabeth Rabe, Lizette University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. South African National Editor's Forum -- Influence South African National Editor's Forum -- Political activity Mass media -- Political aspects -- South Africa Freedom of the press -- South Africa Journalism -- South Africa -- History -- 21st century South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- Dissertations -- Journalism Theses -- Journalism Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. This study aims to locate the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) within South Africa’s transformation from apartheid to a nonracial and constitutional democracy. This entails first examining the potential for participation demonstrated by editors’ societies at different democratic stages and defining the ideal democratic roles of journalism. The recent political history of journalism in the country is summarised to draw out the particular obstacles to editors’ unity and the transformation needs in South Africa’s racialised context. Then the forum’s history from 1995 to 2000 is reconstructed in detail using documentary sources. This covers the formation and launch periods of Sanef, and the next couple of years of the forum’s existence. This study is described as a historical, qualitative inquiry from the inside, observing both the sequence of events and the motives related to the context and to concepts of democratic role. It is unusual in that it is a historical study of a journalism society and it uses journalism theories to guide the research and the analysis. The research shows that despite having to overcome divisive issues from their past, the editors chose to play their part across all democratic roles: liberal, social democratic, neoliberal and participative. Activities were mostly linked to the current democratic stage. Many involved the self-transformation of journalism and journalists, leading to the suggestion of a fifth role for journalism in emerging democracies. However, some Sanef projects were not completed despite their significance for democratic journalism and others had no strategic rationale. This study recommends that Sanef be more strategic in its activities and look to other emerging democracies for appropriate solutions to problems. It is suggested that failing to do so could result in more complex problems for journalism in South Africa in the future. Finally, it is noted that the existence of a stable and prominent forum giving editors, senior journalists and journalism educators a united voice in areas of common interest in itself lends serious weight to their democratic participation. Masters 2006-10-05T10:18:31Z 2010-06-01T09:01:57Z 2006-10-05T10:18:31Z 2010-06-01T09:01:57Z 2006-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2935 en University of Stellenbosch 1851025 bytes application/pdf application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
spellingShingle South African National Editor's Forum -- Influence
South African National Editor's Forum -- Political activity
Mass media -- Political aspects -- South Africa
Freedom of the press -- South Africa
Journalism -- South Africa -- History -- 21st century
South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
Dissertations -- Journalism
Theses -- Journalism
Barratt, Elizabeth
Choosing to be part of the story : the participation of the South African National Editors’ Forum in the democratising process
title Choosing to be part of the story : the participation of the South African National Editors’ Forum in the democratising process
title_full Choosing to be part of the story : the participation of the South African National Editors’ Forum in the democratising process
title_fullStr Choosing to be part of the story : the participation of the South African National Editors’ Forum in the democratising process
title_full_unstemmed Choosing to be part of the story : the participation of the South African National Editors’ Forum in the democratising process
title_short Choosing to be part of the story : the participation of the South African National Editors’ Forum in the democratising process
title_sort choosing to be part of the story the participation of the south african national editors forum in the democratising process
topic South African National Editor's Forum -- Influence
South African National Editor's Forum -- Political activity
Mass media -- Political aspects -- South Africa
Freedom of the press -- South Africa
Journalism -- South Africa -- History -- 21st century
South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
Dissertations -- Journalism
Theses -- Journalism
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2935
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