Seeing past race: politics of the HRC's inquiry into racial representation

Abstract

In South Africa's transition from apartheid, the country's Human Rights Commission's (HRC's) inquiry into racism in the media serves as an index of racial identities and representations. Racial considerations played an important part in determining responses to the inquiry, which entailed significant ’re-racialisations’ of identities. The process ensured that racial identity in journalism was put on the agenda, and that the representation of race in the media became a subject of debate and scrutiny. By revealing the constructed and political nature of such identities, this analysis interrogates how the inquiry could be used to assist further transitions from apartheid to democracy. In die oorgang van apartheid na demokrasie dien die Menseregtekommissie se ondersoek na rassisme in die media as 'n indeks van rasse-identiteite en–voorstellings. Dit speel 'n belangrike rol in die ‘herstrukturering’ van identiteite. Die proses het enersyds die kwessie van rasse-identiteit op die agenda geplaas, sowel as debat daaroor aangewakker. Die artikel dui aan hoe die ondersoek benut kan word om toekomstige hervorming te bevorder.