Reporting the Oscar Pistorius trial: A critical political economy reading of the mediation of the ‘trial of the century’

Abstract

Abstract The relationship between mainstream media and celebrities is intricate, mutually beneficial and sometimes mutually destructive. The essence of ‘celebrity culture’ is itself deeply rooted in the media. This article discusses the mediation of the Oscar Pistorius trial using the lens of critical political economy of media. A first in South Africa in many ways – including the live televization of court proceedings, the creation of a special dedicated TV channel for the coverage, the stratospheric viewership figures and the attendant commercial benefits for media houses, among other ‘firsts’ – the trial came to be characterized in some media as a ‘trial of the century’, or that South Africa itself was on trial. And yet, it could be argued that this was just another South African trial, whose coverage by the media, however, mirrored trends in the West, thanks in part to the country’s reintegration into the global political economy post-Apartheid, and in part to the developments in new media and communication technologies. What perhaps sets the trial apart, and therefore quite interesting for this article, is that the spotlight on this case did not pay sufficient attention to the overall context of violence in South Africa, especially violence among ordinary black people who do not make the headlines and especially violence that involves spousal killings. The trial presented both local and global media with a fleeting moment to hit it big in the context of declining media economics, and while its live televization may have played the pedagogical role of educating citizens about the intricacies of the Court system, the overall focus on the sensational, the drama and the individual outside of the broader context negated the media’s role.