Mass media advertisements: Responses to selected advertisements in semi-urban Limpopo

Abstract

This article developed from pilot research in a coursework Master's module in African Languages into combined outcomes of persuasive messages and visual literacy based on semiotics. It tested assertions by various writers about mass media, as applicable to a semi-urban or rural group of (black) South Africans with educational levels ranging from Grade 10 to Honours level. Owing to the fact that interviewees are financially constrained (and therefore cannot always afford television access or the acquisition of magazines), the focus of ‘persuasive messages’ was on billboard advertising in their living and work contexts. It was found that the consumers (respondents to the questionnaire) reacted positively to billboards that supported products on which they have been relying; that once they have been introduced to a product and found it efficient, competitive campaigns do not impinge on their stance; but also that – in this particular semi-urban area – traditional values folklore and usages have to be taken into consideration by advertisers for effective communication.     

Enkele gedagtes oor die rol van teorie in die wetenskapsbeoefening

SUMMARY

The social significance of television and film as the most powerful means of mass communication in Western civilisation today cannot be underrated. The mass media, and television and film in particular, are not merely neutral carriers of messages. They confer power, legitimate systems and provide ways of looking at the world. They supply the context in which information is learned, attitudes and values formed and decisions made, thereby fulfilling the functions previously filled by the medieval church.

The general functions of the mass media, and television and film in particular, are entertainment, the provision of information and education, socialization and the handing down, or propogation of culture. However, these can be suggested to be merely surface functions and effects of the media's deeper power. There is a hidden role which transcends all surface effects. It may be proposed that it is the media, rather than the church which provides individuals with a worldview which reflects to them what is of ultimate value, and which justifies their behaviour and way of life. Television itself is becoming a kind of religion and has become a prime cultivator of culture, providing the myths, teachings and expressions of religion.

Various authors suggest that television needs to be seriously considered as an operative religious activity. This does not mean that the television and film industry would see itself in religious terms, nor that the mass media can be seen to be replacing theistic religion, but that the correspondence between the content and uses of television and the traditional functions of religion and religious practice is significant.

This article, based on a literature survey, explores the provocative parallel between the traditional functions of religion and the church, and commercial television.     

The Court for Sexual Offences: perceptions of the families of the victims of sexual offences

This article aims to evaluate the degree to which the Court for Sexual Offences in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa and associated auxiliary institutions meet the needs of the families of the victims of sex-crimes. The perceptions of 24 family members of victims were obtained. These individuals generally perceived the functioning of the Court and its auxiliary institutions in a positive light. However, perceptions of the time that cases took to come to trial and the standard of post-trial interaction between the Court and the families was not positive. A need for more effective victim-care at both social and psychological levels was identified. Future psycho-legal research possibilities in this largely neglected field are highlighted.     

The Court for Sexual Offences: perceptions of the victims of sexual offences

This article explores the perceptions of sexual offence victims following their interaction with the Court for Sexual Offences in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. The study primarily investigates these individuals' satisfaction with the degree to which the Court succeeds in providing more effective justice for victims and reduces secondary victimization during judicial proceedings. The respondents were generally positive with regard to their experiences with the Court. However, cases were still found to be slow in coming to trial. The treatment of the victims after their participation in the trials was found not to be of the same standard as that received before they testified. These findings point to potential changes to the current system to further enhance the Court's functioning and legitimacy amongst the people who make use of its services.