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
An analysis of how Zimbabwean female audiences decode meaning from the Shona-language radio programme Nguva Yevanhukadzi (Time for Women) against the background of their lived experiences
- Authors: Chihota-Charamba, Audrey
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Radio and women -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and women -- Zimbabwe , Radio audiences -- Zimbabwe , Women in mass media , Mass media -- Zimbabwe , Women -- Zimbabwe -- Social conditions , Patriarchy -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3522 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011750 , Radio and women -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and women -- Zimbabwe , Radio audiences -- Zimbabwe , Women in mass media , Mass media -- Zimbabwe , Women -- Zimbabwe -- Social conditions , Patriarchy -- Zimbabwe
- Description: This study investigates the Zimbabwean women listeners of a gender-focused radio programme Nguva yevanhukadzi (Time for Women) to find out what meanings they take from the programme. Located within the broad theoretical framework of cultural studies and drawing on audience reception theories, the study focuses on the ways in which Shona-speaking women bring their understandings of their social roles, derived from their lived socio-cultural experiences of patriarchy, to their decoding of the text. The study was set in Harare’s high-density suburb of Mbare and used the qualitative research methods of individual and focus group interviews. The study was conducted against the backdrop of the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) of September 2008, which ended the impasse among the warring political parties, ZANU PF, MDC-T and MDC and introduced a new era of collectively tackling socio-economic development, including redressing gender disparities through women’s empowerment. This study examines the factors shaping the audiences’ readings of the programme and seeks to establish whether the mass media has determining power on its audience in the reception of messages or if the audiences (women) have interpretive freedom. Using Hall’s (1980) Encoding/ Decoding model, the study examines the factors that influence the audiences’ choice in making preferred, negotiated or oppositional readings and the arguments they advance in line with those readings. While the interviews revealed that most of the female listeners “negotiated” the dominant encoded meanings, seeking their relevance to their varied situations and contexts (O’ Sullivan et al. 1994:152; Ang 1990: 159), of interest is the manner in which the women dealt with the discourse of patriarchy within the context of promoting women empowerment. The contestation between women empowerment and addressing patriarchy reflected the subverted notions of maintaining the status quo, while applauding the women’s commitment and ability to interrogate the practicality of issues under discussion and drawing lessons relevant to their day to day lives prior to making the preferred reading. As such, the study revealed that preferred readings are not always automated, but can be a result of intense interrogation among media audiences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Chihota-Charamba, Audrey
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Radio and women -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and women -- Zimbabwe , Radio audiences -- Zimbabwe , Women in mass media , Mass media -- Zimbabwe , Women -- Zimbabwe -- Social conditions , Patriarchy -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3522 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011750 , Radio and women -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and women -- Zimbabwe , Radio audiences -- Zimbabwe , Women in mass media , Mass media -- Zimbabwe , Women -- Zimbabwe -- Social conditions , Patriarchy -- Zimbabwe
- Description: This study investigates the Zimbabwean women listeners of a gender-focused radio programme Nguva yevanhukadzi (Time for Women) to find out what meanings they take from the programme. Located within the broad theoretical framework of cultural studies and drawing on audience reception theories, the study focuses on the ways in which Shona-speaking women bring their understandings of their social roles, derived from their lived socio-cultural experiences of patriarchy, to their decoding of the text. The study was set in Harare’s high-density suburb of Mbare and used the qualitative research methods of individual and focus group interviews. The study was conducted against the backdrop of the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) of September 2008, which ended the impasse among the warring political parties, ZANU PF, MDC-T and MDC and introduced a new era of collectively tackling socio-economic development, including redressing gender disparities through women’s empowerment. This study examines the factors shaping the audiences’ readings of the programme and seeks to establish whether the mass media has determining power on its audience in the reception of messages or if the audiences (women) have interpretive freedom. Using Hall’s (1980) Encoding/ Decoding model, the study examines the factors that influence the audiences’ choice in making preferred, negotiated or oppositional readings and the arguments they advance in line with those readings. While the interviews revealed that most of the female listeners “negotiated” the dominant encoded meanings, seeking their relevance to their varied situations and contexts (O’ Sullivan et al. 1994:152; Ang 1990: 159), of interest is the manner in which the women dealt with the discourse of patriarchy within the context of promoting women empowerment. The contestation between women empowerment and addressing patriarchy reflected the subverted notions of maintaining the status quo, while applauding the women’s commitment and ability to interrogate the practicality of issues under discussion and drawing lessons relevant to their day to day lives prior to making the preferred reading. As such, the study revealed that preferred readings are not always automated, but can be a result of intense interrogation among media audiences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
The rising popularity of Pidgin English radio stations in Nigeria: an audience study of Wazobia FM, Lagos
- Durodola, Olufunke Treasure Anike
- Authors: Durodola, Olufunke Treasure Anike
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Wazobia FM (Nigeria) , Radio audiences -- Nigeria -- Lagos , Pidgin English -- Nigeria -- Lagos , Radio stations -- Nigeria -- Lagos , Mass media and culture -- Nigeria -- Lagos , Language and languages -- Variation , Popular culture -- Nigeria , Postcolonialism -- Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3550 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020886
- Description: This research is located within media studies and draws on the Cultural Studies approach. It is an audience study, which uses the mixed methods of focus group discussions and an online survey to examine the importance of the use of Nigerian Pidgin as a broadcast language in investigating the rising popularity of Pidgin English radio in a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual Nigeria. The study focuses on Wazobia FM, a radio station in Lagos, and the first pidgin station in Nigeria. It seeks to determine whether the station’s audience engaged with the station’s programming based on its prioritisation of NigP and the linguistic identity it offers them. The study foregrounds the marginalised status of NigP within the politics of language in Nigeria. It traces the language’s evolution through popular and oppositional expressions in broadcasting and in music. It also seeks to establish the place of Pidgin English within the role that language plays in the formation of the Nigerian identity. This study thus adopts the ‘emic’ perspective, which underpins qualitative methodology, and views social life in terms of processes as opposed to static terms. The theoretical framework of this research revolves around culture, language and identity. Pertinent concepts in post-colonial studies, together with conceptual frameworks in Cultural Studies, such as popular culture, representation, hegemony and counter-culture have been used to make sense of the popularity of NigP radio stations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Durodola, Olufunke Treasure Anike
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Wazobia FM (Nigeria) , Radio audiences -- Nigeria -- Lagos , Pidgin English -- Nigeria -- Lagos , Radio stations -- Nigeria -- Lagos , Mass media and culture -- Nigeria -- Lagos , Language and languages -- Variation , Popular culture -- Nigeria , Postcolonialism -- Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3550 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020886
- Description: This research is located within media studies and draws on the Cultural Studies approach. It is an audience study, which uses the mixed methods of focus group discussions and an online survey to examine the importance of the use of Nigerian Pidgin as a broadcast language in investigating the rising popularity of Pidgin English radio in a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual Nigeria. The study focuses on Wazobia FM, a radio station in Lagos, and the first pidgin station in Nigeria. It seeks to determine whether the station’s audience engaged with the station’s programming based on its prioritisation of NigP and the linguistic identity it offers them. The study foregrounds the marginalised status of NigP within the politics of language in Nigeria. It traces the language’s evolution through popular and oppositional expressions in broadcasting and in music. It also seeks to establish the place of Pidgin English within the role that language plays in the formation of the Nigerian identity. This study thus adopts the ‘emic’ perspective, which underpins qualitative methodology, and views social life in terms of processes as opposed to static terms. The theoretical framework of this research revolves around culture, language and identity. Pertinent concepts in post-colonial studies, together with conceptual frameworks in Cultural Studies, such as popular culture, representation, hegemony and counter-culture have been used to make sense of the popularity of NigP radio stations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
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