Cultural citizenship in the digital future(s): in search of a new code of praxis for South African journalism education and training

Abstract

This article introduces ten guidelines for a new code of praxis, based on critical complexity theory, to steer journalism education and training (JET) into the ‘digital future(s)’. The concept of cultural citizenship, which establishes a link between teaching and learning and the construction of citizenship, is introduced. The departure point is that contemporary South African media and society are characterised by levels of complexity which have rendered traditional realist modernist frameworks absolute. However, both the journalism industry and JET still refer to a conservative neoliberal pluralist Western professional ideology, in which a link between public service and consumer power is presupposed. The failure of this entrenched ideological framework of JET to account for postmodern notions of difference and diversity contributes to the continuing political and cultural marginalisation of the poor black majority. Amongst the numerous challenges for JET in an era of increasing multiculturalism and technological convergence, this article attempts to find an alternative conceptual framework within which civically minded journalists could be produced. The suggestion is made that efforts over the past few decades to introduce the African moral philosophy of ubuntu as such a framework have seemingly made little progress, because of its roots in traditional (rather than (post)modern) African culture. Instead, this article argues that critical complexity theory is better suited to provide a current framework for cultural citizenship. Such a position, however, does not imply total relativism and a lack of ethical grounding. Three imperatives – the provisional, the critical reflexive and the world-disclosing – are introduced and provide ten non-foundational principles for JET in South Africa.