Towards a policy model for community radio broadcasting in Zambia

Abstract

This article, which is based on a focused synthesis of a range of historical, political, policy, regulatory and other factors, proposes a normative policy model for community radio broadcasting in Zambia. It starts with a historical analysis of the factors that have influenced the development of community radio broadcasting in the country, particularly in the period before and after 1991. It is argued that community radio broadcasting in Zambia is largely reflective of the state-centric policy-making regime. This policy-making regime is itself a legacy of British colonialism. The policy proposal put forward in this article is informed by the assumptions of the group and organised anarchy models of policy-making and seeks to promote community radio broadcasting in terms of its vision, regulatory structures, funding, training, technology, production of local content and research.     

The future of public service broadcasting in South Africa: the need to return to basic principles

Abstract

In this article it is argued that should the South African public service broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), be expected to play a development and nation-building role in the South African society, as it is mandated to do, then policy makers should return to the basic principles underlying the philosophy of public service broadcasting. This needs to be done in a changed media environment characterised by privatisation, internationalisation and digitisation, all leading to increased competition and commercialisation. The argument is developed against the background of a discussion on (1) the reasons for the decline of public service broadcasting, (2) the ways in which public service broadcasters are responding, (3) an overview of the state of public service broadcasting in South Africa at the time of writing (April 2003), (4) a motivation for why South Africa needs a strong public service broadcaster and (5) what can be done to secure the future of public service broadcasting in South Africa. A return to the basic principles of public service broadcasting as the only way out, is suggested. This would require a complete revision of South African broadcasting policy.     

Challenges in donor–NPO relationships in the context of corporate social investment

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to highlight challenges in the relationship between corporate donors and recipient NPOs within the context of corporate social investment (CSI) in South Africa and to link the relational challenges to problems NPOs face in general. It is theoretically argued that CSI forms an important part of sustainable development and that NPOs, in turn, form an integral part of many organisations’ social investment. The challenges faced by them need addressing for the sake of NPOs, donors and society as a whole. It was found that although the stakeholder relationship generally shows both positive and negative perceptions of the parties involved, the challenges that exist can be traced to challenges in the everyday functioning of NPOs, including resource limitations and dependence; staffing problems; and strategy, management and environmental challenges. These challenges facing NPOs manifest in their relationship with donors and can be seen in the power imbalance in the relationship that favours donors, the lack of transparency by NPOs, divergent views on commitment, the questioned competence of NPOs, time constraints in the execution of activities, a perceived incomprehension by NPOs of the realities of the business world, and an unwillingness on the part of donors to allow NPOs some decision-making power.     

Political radio and television advertisements in a young democracy: the 2009 South African national election campaign

It is argued that political parties in a developing democracy should contribute to sustaining democracy through their informational and motivational functions during election campaigns. Rather than debating the merit of issue messages, it is argued that cognitive and emotional campaign messages should be integrated, in order to not only attract voters' attention but also to inform the voter, to foster democratic values, to stimulate debate and to motivate voters to vote. It was found that in the 2009 South African general election, South African political parties did not effectively integrate emotional and cognitive messages, but references to democratic values were integrated with the emotional messages. Few of the parties encouraged voters to participate in the election for the sake of sustaining the democracy. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Normative media theory in the digital media landscape: from media ethics to ethical communication

In this article it is postulated that normative media theory has lost its heuristic value in the new digital media landscape with its ensuing mediatisation of life, society and the world. The reason for this is that normative media theory is based on the principles of media ethics which are mainly concerned with journalism. In the new media landscape the media involves far more than journalism and journalism as the cognitive paradigm for current thinking about media. The media has infiltrated almost every aspect of human communication, it is omnipresent and pervasive. For this reason the principles of ethical communication instead of media ethics are proposed as being more appropriate for normative media theory. This proposition is expanded in the rest of the article with a discussion of “traditional” normative theory as a yardstick for the measurement of ethical media practice and performance against the appropriateness and applicability of “traditional” normative theory in the digital media landscape. Outstanding features of the new media landscape, including the move from mass communication to network communication, and the emphasis on interactivity and interconnectivity contributing to the conversion of the media user into a media producer, are discussed, and presented as a motivation for the proposition to move from media ethics to communication ethics as the epistemological foundation of “new” normative theory.     

Principles of Participatory Communication Reconceptualised for Instructional Corporate Social Responsibility Communication

One of the main aims of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is to contribute to sustainable development, and effective communication is imperative in reaching this goal. When the aim of communication is to contribute to sustainable development, it falls within the field of communication for social change, where the participatory approach is the norm. However, the context of instructional CSR communication poses challenges to the traditional conceptualisation of the participatory approach. This creates a need to reconceptualise the participatory approach for instructional CSR communication contexts. A literature review identified four main principles of the participatory approach (dialogue, participation, cultural identity, and empowerment) and illustrated how they are traditionally conceptualised. The empirical study focused on two companies’ CSR programmes where agriculturists were assisting emerging farmers with training, skills development and mentoring. Sixteen semi-structured interviews with farmers and agriculturists were conducted to determine the applicability of the theoretical principles as traditionally conceptualised for this context. We argue that beneficiaries may not be able to participate as equal partners in all aspects of the CSR initiative from the beginning (as traditionally assumed), but that they should, through their involvement, be empowered to participate more meaningfully in later stages even though power will remain largely with the company.     

Evaluation of anthropometric accuracy and reliability using different three-dimensional scanning systems

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of standard anthropometric linear measurements made with three different three-dimensional scanning systems namely laser surface scanning (Minolta Vivid 900), cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), 3D stereo-photogrammetry (Di3D system) and to compare them to physical linear measurements. The study sample consisted of seven cadaver heads. The reliability and accuracy were assessed by means of a series of 21 standardized, linear facial measurements derived from 15 landmarks taken both directly on the face with a set of digital callipers and indirectly from a three-dimensional (3D) soft tissue surface models derived from CBCT, laser surface scans and 3D photographs. Statistical analysis for the reliability was done by means of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Accuracy was determined by means of the absolute error (AE) and absolute percentage error (APE) by comparison of the 3D measurements to the physical anthropometrical measurements. All the 3D scanning systems were proved to be very reliable (ICC>0.923-0.999) when compared to the physical measurements (ICC; 0.964-0.999). Only one CBCT measurement (t-g) and one Di3D measurement (t-sn left) had a mean AE of more than 1.5mm. There are clear potential benefits of using 3D measurements appose to direct measurements in the assessment of facial deformities. Measurements recorded by the three 3D systems appeared to be both sufficiently accurate and reliable enough for research and clinical use.     

Employer–employee relationships at Lonmin Platinum: A developing South African perspective

Abstract

More than ever, companies are confronted with the importance of developing and maintaining relationships with their strategic stakeholders, such as employees. These relationships should be aimed at balancing the interests of the company with the interests of said stakeholders. Managing relationships with stakeholders is difficult in itself and even more so within the complex context of the South African mining industry. The aim of this article is to determine guidelines that could be used to ascertain employer–employee relationship type and relationship quality in the mining sector. In 2004, a quantitative questionnaire survey was conducted with a stratified quota sample of 508 company employees as part of a commissioned stakeholder perception survey. In addition, qualitative focus-group sessions were conducted to contextualise and clarify the quantitative results. The research indicated that the employer–employee relationship at Lonmin Platinum could be classified as an exchange, rather than a communal relationship. Employees generally perceived the quality of their relationship with the company in a negative way. Employees from all job levels had low levels of trust in the company. This study contributes to a growing body of research aimed at trying to understand the nature of employer–employee relations within large companies in a developing society, where companies are faced with the challenge of communicating to and managing diverse workforces.