A critical history of the rise and fall of the first ever independently owned Matabeleland publication in Zimbabwe : the case of The Southern Star
- Authors: Moyo, Chelesani
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Southern Star (Zimbabwe) , Matabeleland (Zimbabwe) -- History -- Autonomy and independence movements , Mass media and nationalism -- Zimbabwe , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Zimbabwe , Press and politics -- Zimbabwe , Newspaper publishing -- Management , Newspapers -- Marketing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3530 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013273
- Description: This research is premised on the understanding that alternative forms of media emerge to deal with specific ideological projects and, as such, must be seen as satisfying a specific need at a specific point in time. Using the case of a weekly newspaper, The Southern Star which was in circulation from January 2012 to June 2012, this study sought to understand the factors that led to the establishment of the newspaper, what it sought to achieve, how it went about putting that into practice, its message in relation to debates emanating from the ‘Matabeleland Question’ and also the factors that led to the its collapse. In order to address my research questions, I adopted a two stage research design qualitative content analysis and semi structured in depth interviews. In locating the study within the qualitative epistemic understanding of research, it was clear from the qualitative content analysis of 13 editions of the publication and in depth interviews held with 15 respondents that the newspaper was set up with the aim of serving a marginalised section of the population (in this instance the Ndebele) by providing them with a platform to articulate issues affecting them. It also sought to ‘speak’ the ‘unspoken’ within the mainstream media by focusing on Matabeleland identity politics. It achieved this by creating content around the Gukurahundi genocide, Matabeleland development, Matabeleland history and Matabeleland heroes. The newspaper also sought to emancipate the people from the South by advocated for social, cultural, economic and political justice as a resolution to the ‘Matabeleland Question’. However, the newspaper failed to sustain operations due to lack of advertising revenue. As a result of the constraining political environment in which the newspaper operated, potential advertisers were afraid of placing advertisements in the newspaper because of the nature of the content produced, which in view of Zimbabwe’s rival ethnic history, could easily be labelled ethnically divisive. Also, being a new player in the market worked to their disadvantage as prospective advertisers opted to place their adverts in “tried and tested” publications (Zimpapers and Alpha Media Holdings). Additionally, because of poor management, roles were not clearly defined and hence the newspaper failed to operate as a business enterprise. As noted during interviews with junior reporters, there was little or no experience at management level. The paper lacked a coordinated circulation strategy and from inception, was never officially launched, which resulted in the failure to reach significant audiences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Moyo, Chelesani
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Southern Star (Zimbabwe) , Matabeleland (Zimbabwe) -- History -- Autonomy and independence movements , Mass media and nationalism -- Zimbabwe , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Zimbabwe , Press and politics -- Zimbabwe , Newspaper publishing -- Management , Newspapers -- Marketing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3530 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013273
- Description: This research is premised on the understanding that alternative forms of media emerge to deal with specific ideological projects and, as such, must be seen as satisfying a specific need at a specific point in time. Using the case of a weekly newspaper, The Southern Star which was in circulation from January 2012 to June 2012, this study sought to understand the factors that led to the establishment of the newspaper, what it sought to achieve, how it went about putting that into practice, its message in relation to debates emanating from the ‘Matabeleland Question’ and also the factors that led to the its collapse. In order to address my research questions, I adopted a two stage research design qualitative content analysis and semi structured in depth interviews. In locating the study within the qualitative epistemic understanding of research, it was clear from the qualitative content analysis of 13 editions of the publication and in depth interviews held with 15 respondents that the newspaper was set up with the aim of serving a marginalised section of the population (in this instance the Ndebele) by providing them with a platform to articulate issues affecting them. It also sought to ‘speak’ the ‘unspoken’ within the mainstream media by focusing on Matabeleland identity politics. It achieved this by creating content around the Gukurahundi genocide, Matabeleland development, Matabeleland history and Matabeleland heroes. The newspaper also sought to emancipate the people from the South by advocated for social, cultural, economic and political justice as a resolution to the ‘Matabeleland Question’. However, the newspaper failed to sustain operations due to lack of advertising revenue. As a result of the constraining political environment in which the newspaper operated, potential advertisers were afraid of placing advertisements in the newspaper because of the nature of the content produced, which in view of Zimbabwe’s rival ethnic history, could easily be labelled ethnically divisive. Also, being a new player in the market worked to their disadvantage as prospective advertisers opted to place their adverts in “tried and tested” publications (Zimpapers and Alpha Media Holdings). Additionally, because of poor management, roles were not clearly defined and hence the newspaper failed to operate as a business enterprise. As noted during interviews with junior reporters, there was little or no experience at management level. The paper lacked a coordinated circulation strategy and from inception, was never officially launched, which resulted in the failure to reach significant audiences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Innovation in post production stage of print Newspaper
- Authors: Fayo, Sicelo Nathaniel
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Newspaper publishing -- Technological innovations , Newspapers -- Circulation , Newspapers -- Marketing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8614 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1544 , Newspaper publishing -- Technological innovations , Newspapers -- Circulation , Newspapers -- Marketing
- Description: Print newspapers in South Africa are the oldest formal mode of news and information dissemination but which has come under tremendous pressure with the advent and spread of technological innovation involving information communication infrastructure and processes, but specifically the internet. The main challenge facing print newspapers in terms of circulation growth of print and advertising revenue is speed to market. The internet has not only provided a new avenue for news and information dissemination but has the distinct advantage of tremendous speed to deliver news and information to readers. Meanwhile, print newspapers whose production is still almost entirely dependent on traditional structures, processes and physical mode of delivery are battling to stay afloat as the chase for readers' attention is gaining more ground on digital platforms. This new competition landscape has now cast focus fully on traditional print media‟s production processes competency levels as well as their suitability for the nature of competition posed by digital news platforms. The processes involved in the production of a print newspaper can be described as hybrid (Davis and Heineke. 2005: 220) in that they involve different types of processes at different stages to produce the final product. The focus of this study at Avusa Media (Port Elizabeth) was on the post production processes involving the printing and distribution of printed newspapers with the objective of gaining an understanding of the extent and impact of the information technology advancement in the post production phase of printed newspapers. v In pursuing the goal, the case study research followed a phenomenological paradigm involving exploratory and descriptive research processes as described by Yin (1994) in Collis and Hussey (2003: 69) and Clifford Geertz (1973) in Babbie and Mouton (2005: 272) The research found that the traditional business structure for printed newspapers is increasingly becoming unviable due to poverty of technological innovation in critical parts of the production value chain; namely post production processes that encompass printing and distribution of printed newspapers. The research established and revealed that while there are some technological innovations and advances in the print newspaper publishing industry value chain worldwide, they are not only severely limited and disjointed but are also seemingly moving apart rather than towards consolidation in terms of the speed to market need faced by print newspaper publishers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Fayo, Sicelo Nathaniel
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Newspaper publishing -- Technological innovations , Newspapers -- Circulation , Newspapers -- Marketing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8614 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1544 , Newspaper publishing -- Technological innovations , Newspapers -- Circulation , Newspapers -- Marketing
- Description: Print newspapers in South Africa are the oldest formal mode of news and information dissemination but which has come under tremendous pressure with the advent and spread of technological innovation involving information communication infrastructure and processes, but specifically the internet. The main challenge facing print newspapers in terms of circulation growth of print and advertising revenue is speed to market. The internet has not only provided a new avenue for news and information dissemination but has the distinct advantage of tremendous speed to deliver news and information to readers. Meanwhile, print newspapers whose production is still almost entirely dependent on traditional structures, processes and physical mode of delivery are battling to stay afloat as the chase for readers' attention is gaining more ground on digital platforms. This new competition landscape has now cast focus fully on traditional print media‟s production processes competency levels as well as their suitability for the nature of competition posed by digital news platforms. The processes involved in the production of a print newspaper can be described as hybrid (Davis and Heineke. 2005: 220) in that they involve different types of processes at different stages to produce the final product. The focus of this study at Avusa Media (Port Elizabeth) was on the post production processes involving the printing and distribution of printed newspapers with the objective of gaining an understanding of the extent and impact of the information technology advancement in the post production phase of printed newspapers. v In pursuing the goal, the case study research followed a phenomenological paradigm involving exploratory and descriptive research processes as described by Yin (1994) in Collis and Hussey (2003: 69) and Clifford Geertz (1973) in Babbie and Mouton (2005: 272) The research found that the traditional business structure for printed newspapers is increasingly becoming unviable due to poverty of technological innovation in critical parts of the production value chain; namely post production processes that encompass printing and distribution of printed newspapers. The research established and revealed that while there are some technological innovations and advances in the print newspaper publishing industry value chain worldwide, they are not only severely limited and disjointed but are also seemingly moving apart rather than towards consolidation in terms of the speed to market need faced by print newspaper publishers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
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