democracy and the media- a view from south africa guy berger
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Democracy and the media- a view from South Africa Guy Berger. Coming up. In the beginning… The democracy-media dance Cheers for civil society Praise for public sphere Remembering the private Predicting digital dreams. 1389. 1666. 1896. Periodising media history. GHANA 2007 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Democracy
and the media-
a view from South Africa
Guy Berger
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Coming up
1. In the beginning…2. The democracy-media dance3. Cheers for civil society4. Praise for public sphere5. Remembering the private6. Predicting digital dreams
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1666
1896
1389
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![Page 5: Democracy and the media- a view from South Africa Guy Berger](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062409/56814907550346895db63c18/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
![Page 6: Democracy and the media- a view from South Africa Guy Berger](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062409/56814907550346895db63c18/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Periodising media history
GHANA 2007
50 years of independence:
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Some lessons
Precolonial: original indigenous media – rock art, folk
tales and drama, drums, statues, griots, hieroglyphics, Timbuctu manuscripts
= rich heritage
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Colonial: censorship & control
= poor heritage!
Lessons
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early decades
•1950s: nationalist media –
newspapers.
•1960s: national
development – FM radio.
•1970s: propaganda.
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democracy decades
•1980s: independent press (DTP) ?
•1990s: broadcast pluralism ??
•2000s: reform state broadcasting ???
•2010s: phones = interactive media…
(digital networks, incl TV)
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Summing up:• Independent press
= celebrate civil society! • Broadcast pluralism = state makes space for
civil society & business. • PBS reform = state itself must change.
Enough
already!
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Still with us… C O N T R O L
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‘Barbie doll democracy is alien’
“Cultures are not suited to liberal democracy”
Media role?
Or?
Francis Nyamnjoh:
Choice of stereotypes!
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Elections = universal
But, like anywhere, they are just
one part of the story…
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Definitions
•M&D = two institutions– With historically specific forms
• So look at processes & functions.
• African democracy vs Western?
– But: apples & oranges still count as edible foodstuffs
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Summing
up
Civil society
Public sphere
State
GovtSociety at large
Concepts to grasp democracy:
Civil Society
Public Sphere
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Making democracy work:the CS paradigm
•Civil society
– ushers in African democracy– keeps a government on its toes.
• The media is expected to express CS’s democratic role (eg. Human rights).
•Qtn: Rural areas – CS sparse?•Qtn: Sustainability?•Qtn: is Business included?
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Civil Society & media
•Non-state activities– Organisations, churches,
(businesses?)– Do they have their own media? – Is that cost-effective and feasible?
• Is media outside of civil society?– Or at least different to the rest of cs?
• What about community media?
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Civil Society- assumptions
“state bad, civil society good”
•But what of democratic qualities in state?
•What if private media is part of the problem?
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Civil Society- limitations• Summing up CS complexities:
– Can’t apply willy-nilly to African media.
• Instead, we have to think about:
–Donor-driven and urban bias,
–Business as ally for democracy,
– Not all media being within or part of CS,
– Get past good-bad dualism.
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Enter PS paradigm
•Public sphere
– where democracy lives.
•Qtn: Singular or plural?•Qtn: Includes civil society & state?
•Qtn: Private & primordial realms?
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How PS works• Public (opinion):
– Impacts on exercise of power – Sets agendas, limits “the possible”
• Sphere (of influence):
– contrasts to governmental & private.
• Not all politics is public sphere
PS implies a realm distinct from force.
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Re-thinking Public Sphere
•Contrary to Habermas’ (normative) view: – non-democrats are involved; – irrationality is a force.
• Result: ever-moving & re-sizing space.
• Africa: state-owned media has reach & languages for an urban + rural PS …
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CS & PS enrich each other
•PS sans CS … is sterile
(or coloured by govt/business)
• CS sans PS …
lacks a centre.
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The logic leads to media
Both CS and PS see role for media, but:
• CS sees media broadly (eg. Including banners; song; drama);
– PS sees the classic mainstream.
• CS → private press + community radio;– PS sees a role for state-owned media.
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PS as holistic
• PS looks at role of all media.
• PS ideal: totality of voices needed,– Place of ps-style journalism ethics
reflecting the full spectrum?– Degree of pluralism & dialogue is an
issue.
• PS embraces: impartial PBS, + partisan private media, + community media + even govt media.
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Role of media
• CS suggests rights against the state, (watchdog & community media IDs)
• PS suggests rights through the state (forum & educational media IDs).
Thus, PS = strategic view of state:– Transform government-controlled media,– Promote enabling regulation,– Develop notion of citizenship.
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Happily ever after?
• Need both together – lesson of African media history.
• Trajectory: – From civil society to public sphere,– And beyond, a continuing contribution.
• Communications central to it all.
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Horizons:
Globalisation
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The issues:
• Global agendas? Only security?• Transnational public
space with diasporas?
• African continent public space?
• African cybersphere with cellular media?
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Conclusion:
1. History lessons2. Democracy is universal &
particular3. CS and PS concepts → media
roles4. Synthesis advanced5. Limitations noted6. International dimensions
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Thank you
•Democracy is an end in itself
•It runs from macro to micro
•Media can help to make it.