Towards a common-sense typology and democratic philosophy for South Africa's ‘community media’

Abstract

ABSTRACT The South African media have been going through a process of transformation during the past decade. However, these changes are not regarded by influential black journalists as being sufficient. They are therefore insisting on more fundamental changes to ownership, newsrooms and editorial content. At the same time government is planning to set up structures which will lead to the subsidising of certain media (newspapers and radio stations), in particular community-based media. The paper will focus on the latter developments which places the ‘community media’ in the spotlight. The following three questions are posed: • Is ‘community media’ still a useable term? If not, what alternative could be suggested? • What underlying normative media models can be identified in the different ‘community media’? • Could ‘civic journalism’ perhaps offer an appropriate alternative to the more established models? The paper will argue that an inclusive, diverse approach to the media will best serve a plural democratic SA. Given the political pressures and the needs of the people, it will be suggested that a typology is accepted which distinguishes between community-based media (which will receive state subsidies in future), and the independent commercial community media (which will continue as free-enterprise ventures). It is furthermore argued that different approaches (including financing) could function side by side within a plural democracy. Journalistic common ground could be found in the concept ‘civic journalism’. This includes the following: • Telling the news is not enough, journalists have a broader mission of ‘helping public life go well’. • Journalism practitioners are citizens as well as journalists. • It moves from worrying about proper separations to concern with appropriate connections. • Journalists can no more only describe what is going wrong, they have a responsibility to write the positive side as well. • The public is seen as potential actors in arriving at democratic solutions to public problems. Cooperation between the Government Communication and Information System the PMA's print development unit is commended as the common goal is, or ought to be, a diverse, vibrabt, free and inependent community press.