Die dilemma van die pers/ (The dilemma of the press)

Abstract

In recent years the financial basis of newspapers in South Africa has deteriorated. The losses of newspapers have now reached the stage where even traditional subsidiary publishing activities, i.e. book publishing and magazines, can no longer Keep the dailies going. The costs of publishing newspapers are escalating tremendously. The main source of income for the newspapers, i.e. advertisements, are simply not generating enough revenue to keep the presses running. The main reason for the problem is the role of the broadcasting services. The expansion in the broadcasting field is enormous - regional radio services, 4 TV channels, teledata - and they all consume advertisements. In Western democracies newspaper publishers were able to obtain their share of the broadcasting world, but in South Africa the broadcasting sector maintains its monopoly. By undermining the financial basis of newspapers, the whole concept of democracy is coming under strain. Democracy is dependent on plurality of opinions and the death of newspapers is putting pressure on democratic ideals.