Abstract
Although entertainment is probably the most popular genre on television, news programmes are of particular significance in South Africa because of the social changes and racial conflict in the country. The main theory explored in the article is rooted in the assumption that news is a subjective, specific construction of reality, a product of the cultural context in which it operates and not really a mirror of reality. With regard to the contents of television news, the question of the national interest versus the public interest is also addressed. Results of in‐depth interviews conducted with opinion leaders in the news area in South Africa on their views with regard to the role (and the fulfilment of this role) of television news in nation building and the social transformation process in the country are analysed and discussed.
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