‘New’ paradigms, ‘new’ theory and four priorities for South African mass communication and media research

Abstract

This article emphasises the importance of context in mass communication and media research. A brief summary is offered of some of the main characteristics of postmodern society and the new media landscape, and explained as the impetus for the postmodern and postcolonial paradigms in mass communication and media research. From these paradigms ‘new’ theories have developed, such as ‘chaos theory’ and ‘practice theory’, with their emphasis on diversity, the pervasiveness and the anchoring role of the media. Given these new paradigms and theories, many of the tenets and basic assumptions of the positivist and critical paradigms need to be revised, as does normative theory, which is still dominated by Western conceptualisations. With the above as background and an argument for the study and research of the media as a semiosphere of meaning, four research priorities for future South African mass communication and media research are introduced: (1) fundamental research about the new media; (2) (media) development communication research from an African perspective; (3) the indigenisation of mass communication and media theory; and (4) communications policy research.