CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.9
Mvuzo Ponono
{"title":"Centring the subaltern: Interpreting mainstream media messages in a fractured country","authors":"Mvuzo Ponono","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.9","url":null,"abstract":"This article reports on a study that examined the interpretation of mainstream media messages by young people living in Joza, Grahamstown, South Africa. The investigation was prompted by the failure of mainstream media to predict the ANC retaining its electoral dominance in the 2014 national general elections. Instead of falling to the margins as anticipated, the ANC, in areas such as Joza, outstripped its previous share of the vote. The study asked why people living in the township had diverged so drastically from mainstream media predictions. As a theoretical departure point, the study considered that the variation of a black South African township voice is missed by mainstream media because of the sector’s subscription to the idea of a unitary public, which conceals the multiplicity of publics in a fractured country. Through a combination of interviews and participant observation, one of the major findings is that young people in the township of Joza demonstrated that they chose to ignore the messages about the corruption of the ANC. The data suggests that they did so not because of overt racial solidarity, but due to the fact that in a context of high inequality and continued limitations on economic emancipation, the party shone brightly as a vehicle for economic development.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43892471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.3
Millicent Mavimbela, D. Conradie, Hb Dondolo
{"title":"Perceived benefits and challenges regarding the use of social media for public relations activities","authors":"Millicent Mavimbela, D. Conradie, Hb Dondolo","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.3","url":null,"abstract":"Social media holds important implications for the public relations profession. Researchers have identified many benefits that could be reaped when social media is used by organisations for public relations activities. However, there also are many challenges. According to Phillips’ model of digital communication tools there are four variables associated with the benefits and challenges of using social media. This study investigated, by means of an online questionnaire survey, the perceptions of a randomly drawn sample of Gauteng-based public relations practitioners regarding such challenges and benefits. The results revealed that Twitter and Facebook are the most preferred social media for engaging with stakeholders. Further, it was found that when social media is used for purposes of public relations actions, public relations practitioners tend to perceive the possible social media benefits associated with the four variables to be more salient (or at least equally salient) than the possible social media challenges associated with the variables of this model.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46279674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.13
Longina Strumska-Cylwik, B. Olivier
{"title":"What are the implications of celebrities 'behaving badly' online?","authors":"Longina Strumska-Cylwik, B. Olivier","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.13","url":null,"abstract":"With a specific online article as point of departure, this article1 investigates the phenomenon of “bad behaviour” on the part of socalled “celebrities” online. It focuses on the article in question to be able to show what is at stake, namely, the fact that ordinary people are affected by celebrities’ online actions, specifically in the form of either confusion regarding their own behaviour, or by imitating the actions concerned. This is followed by raising questions regarding online behaviour and “normalisation” and exploring these through the work of relevant authors such as Goffman (2006), Maisonneuve (1995), Huizinga (2007) and others, with a view to make sense of the fact that even supposedly shocking behaviour on the part of celebrities seems to be judged in terms of different criteria compared to everyday actions on the part of ordinary people. The role of advanced electronic technology in affecting people’s behaviour is also noted, before turning to Plato and (particularly) Aristotle’s notion of mimesis (imitation) to be able to understand what might be termed the “celebrity effect”. The related question of identification with the images of celebrities is also briefly examined before concluding with a reference to Boorstin’s (1992) famous account of a “celebrity”.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42137699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/comm.v23.14
Natalie le Clue, Janelle Vermaak
{"title":"Perception is the fairest of them all: Online fan perception of Once Upon A Time's Evil Queen","authors":"Natalie le Clue, Janelle Vermaak","doi":"10.18820/24150525/comm.v23.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/comm.v23.14","url":null,"abstract":"In the Brothers Grimm 1812 folklore version of the Snow White story, the Evil Queen is the main antagonist in the narrative. However, over time, as methods of storytelling have advanced, the Evil Queen has undergone numerous transformations in the manner in which she is portrayed and the medium through which her story is presented. Several scholars have undertaken the study of these changing narrative portrayals, from folklore to fairy tale, of which Zipes (1981; 2006) is arguably the most prominent. This article investigates how the Evil Queen’s character evolution and transformation has altered fan perception. Jenkins’ theory of participatory culture serves as the theoretical basis for this analysis. Several online sources, including the Once Upon A Time Fan Blog, and the Spoiler TV Plus page on spoilertv.com, have been selected for analysis, as these provide a satisfactory sample of fans’ perception across a varied spectrum of opinion. At the hand of six themes ranging from “dislike” to “acceptance”, the article argues that the developing discourse and narrative of the character as depicted in the Once upon a time television series (2011) played a role in the evolution of fans’ perception of the character of the Evil Queen.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49185398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.7
A. V. Niekerk
{"title":"The use of indexical signs, symbols and icons in print advertising communication","authors":"A. V. Niekerk","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.7","url":null,"abstract":"Advertising communication is a unique genre with a distinct set of language rules that use several mechanisms to attract the attention of the target audience. This article examines the value of three visual sign types to attract the attention of the intended target audience. The value of this investigation lies in its consideration of the value of the unstable connotative meanings of the visual signs of modern advertising communication. Semiotics is touched upon as the broad theoretical background to the study. Thereafter, the discussion moves to the use of indexical signs, symbols and icons in modern print advertising in South Africa to ensure audience involvement in the construction of a plausible and implied marketing message. A typical example from South African print media (magazines) in each semiotic category (index, icon and symbol) are analysed to illustrate the role of the target audience as co-creator of the implied marketing message. The data illustrates that the meaning of these signs in print advertising may be unstable/vague even though a specific marketing message was intended. The analysis of these visual signs as impulse to support audience involvement is broadly based on Leeuwen and Jewitt’s (2001) visual analytical method and focuses on the characteristics of creativity by authors Stuhlfaut and Yoo (2013) and Koslow (2015).","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44525470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.6
Yolandi Slabbert
{"title":"Co-change-oriented communication: A collaborative approach to making sense of change","authors":"Yolandi Slabbert","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.6","url":null,"abstract":"This article presents a new concept, “co-Change-orientated Communication” (co-COC), to address the need for theoretical developments beyond mainstream assumptions by drawing from contemporary, critical developments in strategic communication. A two-phased, qualitative methodological strategy was employed. Firstly, a thematic analysis of a sample of literature according to specific parameters and contextual bases was conducted. Secondly, to identify an exemplar for co-COC, a document analysis was done of selected 2016 Fortune “Change-the-World” organisations’ annual and sustainability reports. In congruence with the themes of the literature, the document analysis revealed that co-COC is a bottom-up concept and elicits the attributes of meaningful dialogue, employee engagement, collaboration and co-creation, and encourages dissent. To realise the implementation of co-COC, the document analysis indicated the antecedents of stakeholder engagement, organisational agility, leadership agility and a change-able culture. co-COC contributes to the body of knowledge on strategic and change communication and serves as a heuristic for future research. Furthermore, co- COC provides theoretical development beyond the conventional, which not only affirms the critical role of change communication in the successful management of change, but could also assist communication professionals to realise the need for the inclusion of contemporary developments in strategic communication.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41683748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.12
K. Onyenankeya, A. Salawu
{"title":"Negotiating water conservation communication through indigenous media","authors":"K. Onyenankeya, A. Salawu","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.12","url":null,"abstract":"Water conservation efforts have become increasingly important as spiralling population figures and snowballing economic development continue to pile pressure on fresh water resources across the world. In South Africa there are a number of water conservation initiatives to ensure optimal use of dwindling water resources. But not all citizens, particularly in rural communities, consider water conservation a social priority. The apathy has been attributed to the failure of current conservation communication to galvanise people in a way that they come to regard conserving water as a critical factor in achieving sustainable water use. The water conservation efforts rely heavily on persuasive communication, which encourages rural residents to take on new behaviours adjudged beneficial by the promoting agencies, often without seeking their commitment and understanding or appreciating the sociocultural dynamics underpinning their water use behaviour. This study used the participatory action approach to explore the effectiveness of indigenous media in engaging and mobilising rural residents on water conservation initiatives. Given its grassroots nature and interpersonal attributes, indigenous media provide a communication approach with the potential to negotiate the issues around water conservation.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41709781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.4
Juran van Heerden, R. Rensburg
{"title":"Investigating social media conversations: Towards implementing an online reputation management framework for NPOs","authors":"Juran van Heerden, R. Rensburg","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.4","url":null,"abstract":"The main objective of the research reported in this article was to investigate whether a proposed online reputation management framework can be implemented for an NPO to effect stakeholder engagement in social media content and conversations. The research further assessed whether an NPO can afford greater control of the social web by tracking critical comments and negative publicity and by utilising this information to manage its reputation. The latter was achieved by exploring the Facebook page of a South African trade union, Solidarity, to determine the impact of online conversations on the reputation of the NPO, regardless of the content. A case study methodology was used for the research. The research, which departed from an interpretivist tradition, aimed at analysing the online interactions of stakeholders and their impact on the reputation of the organisation. Data was elicited through interviews with administrators and the content of conversations on Facebook. The latter was analysed through content analysis. The outcomes of the research and the ideas presented in this article might assist NPOs with reputation management by implementing the online reputation management framework as a tool to manage and direct their online content and conversations for improved reputation.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47790132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.10
Sibongile Sindane
{"title":"Press regulation in South Africa and its implications for press freedom","authors":"Sibongile Sindane","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.10","url":null,"abstract":"Using the critical political economy of the media theory (CPEM), this article analyses press regulation in South Africa. The data was collected from statutory documents, which inform press regulation in the country, and was analysed using inductive thematic content analysis. Four themes emerged, namely from self-regulation to independent co-regulation, the communal approach, independent co-regulation, and citizenship. The findings indicate that press regulation in South Africa has adopted a communal approach, which implies that press regulation attempts to include the public. Although independent co-regulation is between the media and the public, and it is supposed to be independent from the government, this does not make it much different from the previous structureof self-regulation.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45144946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CommunitasPub Date : 2018-12-17DOI: 10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.11
Avela Ntsongelwa, Milagros Rivera-Sánchez
{"title":"Intercultural communication between Deaf and hearing students at a South African university","authors":"Avela Ntsongelwa, Milagros Rivera-Sánchez","doi":"10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/COMM.V23.11","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates the way hearing and Deaf students communicate and develop working and social relationships at the University of the Free State. Centred on the cultural identities of the Deaf subculture and the hearing culture, the authors explore how these two groups interact and how they perceive each other in the context of intercultural communication. The study was able to reach saturation with a total number of eleven participants from the Deaf (n=3) and hearing (n=9) culture. The findings revealed that Deaf students at the University interact with hearing students mostly in class and on-campus residences. Beyond those limited spaces, Deaf students remain isolated from the rest of the university population. The findings also suggest that language is one of the biggest barriers to achieving effective intercultural communication.","PeriodicalId":41956,"journal":{"name":"Communitas","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2018-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46153534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}