Rise of Press in SA 2024 PDF

History of South Africa’s Press MECS 222 MEDIA IN SOUTH AFRICA Brief Historical Overview 1800-1910 1910-1928 1928-1994 1994-present  Four Strands of SA’s Press The press in South Africa has often had a complex relationship with the ruling government This relationship has bee...

History of South Africa’s Press MECS 222 MEDIA IN SOUTH AFRICA Brief Historical Overview 1800-1910 1910-1928 1928-1994 1994-present  Four Strands of SA’s Press The press in South Africa has often had a complex relationship with the ruling government This relationship has been constant despite South Africa having very different types of governments over its 400 year history These issues include: Tension between the press and the government based on what should be published and how the press should operate; Divisions in the press based on language Divisions in the press based on race The State viewing the press as a threat to national security Journalists trying to bypass undemocratic laws and regulations  Four Strands of SA’s Press But each of these issues have manifested slightly differently in the four different strands of South Africa’s press English Afrikaans Black Press Alternative Press Press Press  The English Press South Africa did not have a local press until after the British took control of the Cape colony because the Dutch saw the press as a revolutionary tool The first newspaper, the Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser, was owned by slave owners, Alexander Walker and John Robertson, and first published in 1800 This paper was printed under the auspices of the British government and was heavily controlled. The first private newspaper, The South African Commercial Advertiser, was published in 1824, but was closed down soon after by Lord Somerset because he feared that they may report on his immoral lifestyle. The Commerical Advertiser was unbanned a little later, but then rebanned due to its criticisms of local politics  The English Press However, unworried by the ban, the editors of The Commercial Advertiser, Thomas Pringle and John Fairbairn opened a second independent newspaper called The South African Journal and Het Nederduitsch Zuid-Afrikaansch Tydscrift Again, the editors were in trouble with the authorities because of their criticism of local politics Rather than being banned, or bowing to authority, Pringle decided to shut down the newspaper The quest for an independent press was a tedious one, and was only able to come into existence after Somerset was replaced by a new Governor-General Richard Bourke However, the press wouldn’t have succeeded if it hadn’t been for a large influx of settlers in the 1820s who brought the technology and expertise to begin expanding the news industry Thereafter, almost every town in the Colonies had their own newspaper, although only two still remain today: The Witness (1846) and The Herald (1845).  The Afrikaans Press Unlike the English press, the Afrikaans press took a little longer to develop This was mostly due to the Dutch adopting a less individualist ideology and one in which authority and community was to be respected The first Afrikaans/Dutch newspaper was started in opposition to the Commericial Advertiser, mostly because the Afrikaners did not stand with the views of the English press in relation to slavery, the missions, and the tensions between Dutch farmers and the amaXhosa The first Afrikaans/Dutch newspaper, De Verzamelaar was started by a Portuguese immgrant, Josephus Sausso de Lima. However, it’s not remembered for much more than being the only first wholly Afrikaans/Dutch news publication The Afrikaans Press The first Afrikaans newspaper to speak to the interests of the Afrikaans people was Die Zuid-Afrikaan It was highly unpopular with the authorities because the owner was an advocate who would often beat the local authorities in court regarding various disputes with Dutch settlers Plus, his newspaper reflected his anti-British sentiments However, many Afrikaans publications at the time were criticised by the Dutch for promoting ‘kitchen language’, a sentiment that is still reflected by the Dutch today when referring to South Africa’s Afrikaans language  Major Differences between Afrikaans and English Press English Press Afrikaans Press Developed by established Developed by religious ministers journalists and editors Developed to advocate for the Developed for commercial reasons Afrikaner nation Acted as a watchdog of authority, Promoted the Afrikaans language, promoted critical discussion independece from Britain, the Was more concerned with the perceived threat of Black affairs of Britain nationalism Spoke about Africa and the role of Afrikaners in South Africa, especially during apartheid The Black Press The beginnings of what is known as the black press, was only able to begin after the Cape Colony allowed for a free press to develop We can plot the development of the black press over five periods: 1830-1880: The missionary period 1880-1930: The independent elitist period 1930-1980: The white-owned period 1980-1995: The multicultural period 1995-today: Black empowerment/commercial period The Missionary Period The beginnings of the black press was thanks to the establishment of mission stations in the Eastern Cape The missionaries in these areas ensured that the local people became literate and provided the skills and technology to begin publishing As a result, many Western ideals about writing and news writing in particular were adopted by local people, such as acting as a watchdog and being free The first newspaper to cater for black readers, Umshumayeli Wendaba, was founded in Grahamstown in 1837 The first newspaper to be entirely edited by black journalists was the Isigidimi Sama Xosa in 1876 The Independent Elitist Period As a result of the education provided by mission schools, a divide began to occur between the elite educated class of local people and the uneducated rural people One of the most important figures during this time was John Tengo Jabavu who founded Imvo Zabantsundu. This was the first newspaper in South Africa written, edited, and published entirely by black citizens The Independent Elitist Period Jabavu came from a poor home, but his parents wanted him to be educated by the local Methodist school He was a bright scholar who eventually became a teacher (the only boy in his class to do so) He also worked as a pastor in the local church and apprenticed at the local newspaper office after hours He became a well-respected scholar and fought against anti- African legislation, although he did support the Native Lands Act of 1913 He helped found the South African Native College, now Fort Hare The Independent Elitist Period Another important newspaper during this period was Ilanga Lase Natal, the first Zulu newspaper It was started by John Dube in 1903 Dube was the first president of the South African Native National Congress, later the African Nation Congress He, along with other notable journalists like Sol Plaatje, were critical of Afrikaner nationalism and aimed to gain equal rights and education for all South Africans The Independent Elitist Period John Dube came from a relatively wealthy and educated family. His father was a pastor in the American Zulu Mission in Inanda He was educated in the United States in science, mathematics, and Greek classics, and then lectured at a number of colleges in the US He eventually qualified in Theology from Union Missionary Seminary in New York On his return to South Africa, Dube built a number of churches with funding from the US He also built a Christian Industrial School for Zulus which eventually, in the 1930s, provided entrance to Fort Hare and UNISA, for black scholars The White-Owned Period One of the main challenges that faced the black press was a lack of money, equipment, qualified workers, and reliable distribution network However, Bertram Paver, a salesman, saw the potential of tapping into the large black market and established Bantu World, a newspaper modelled on the British tabloid The Daily Mirror. Despite Paver trying to avoid controlling any of his journalists, money became an issue and he had to sell the newspaper to the Argus Company But Bantu World became an important critic of the apartheid government eventually being banned in 1977 as a result of its stories about the 1976 student uprisings  The White-Owned Period One of the most important developments during this time was the start of the African Drum (now Drum magazine) funded by Jim Bailey (son of mining magnate Abe Bailey) In 1951, he brought Anthony Sampson across from Britain to run the publication Drum was an important publication as it was one of the first examples of alternative press in South Africa Drum was one of the first investigative publications which focussed on exposing the social and political issues facing black South Africans under the apartheid government, especially thanks to the work of Henry Nxumalo (known as Mr Drum) It also published stories which celebrated black musicians and writers, and developed colourful slang for urban Black people. The publication was never banned, despite its scathing reports. But it was withdrawn in 1965, and then returned in a milder format By 1969, Drum had a circulation of 470 000. It was eventually acquired by Naspers in 1984 and became the magazine we know today  The Multi-Racial Period During the 1970s, traditionally white newspapers found that they were gaining more black readers, especially as many of these newspapers published township editions Black journalists who worked for these township editions started to move into positions for the main newspapers The Rand Daily Mail began integrating more and more news from the townships into its regular publishing. The Rand Daily Mail exposed what had happened to Steve Biko when he died, despite the apartheid government trying to cover it up By 1985, when the newspaper closed, 80% of the Rand Daily Mail readers were black Anton Harber, Irwin Manoim, and other journalists from the publication pooled their money and founded The Weekly Mail (now the Mail & Guardian) to continue reporting on anti-apartheid activities