significado y alcance de la necesaria reforma del Título VIII CE

There are a total of at least 501 community newspapers in South Africa, among them free and paid-for community titles published weekly, twice weekly, monthly and twice a month; and independently owned or owned by media conglomerates (AIP handout, 2015; PDMSA 2014; ABC, 2016a, ABC, 2016b). Nearly half of these titles – 210 of them – are independently owned and affiliated to the Association of Independent Publishers, with the remaining 291 owned by Caxton, Media24, Times Media Group and Independent Media. Collectively these titles, some paid and others distributed free of charge, serve diverse audiences across the country. My research sample will include both corporate-owned and independently owned titles, but will only only include a purposive sample of the 47 community newspapers are published in Cape Town, seven of which are independently owned, 15 owned by Independent Media and 25 by Media24. Of the total number of community newspapers distributed in Cape Town, five are distributed monthly, one fortnightly and the rest weekly, with all of the

independently owned titles being distributed either monthly or fortnightly. Collectively, more than 1.4 million copies of the 47 community newspapers which cover different parts of Cape Town are printed and distributed or sold around the city (ABC, 2016a, ABC, 2016b).

As was discussed in Chapter 1, community newspapers must have a focus that is “relentlessly local” and must identify important issues and news in the community and inform citizens about these issues (Beisner, 2005). Hanusch (2015: 820) believes that community newspapers play a vital role in ensuring representation of local matters in the media, which is supported by Beisner (2005) who notes that community newspapers must prioritise local matters at all costs and send the message that “this stuff matters”. Naidoo (2008) believes newspaper readership is no longer measured by its status but by its “relevance, reach and reliability”, and that what community newspapers do that dailies cannot, is “serve their local neighbourhood and be the number one source of local news...”

Community media which is independent of the state, and accountable to marginalised communities, writes Weinberg (2011: 4) in a discussion document on community media, has the potential to play an important role in deepening democracy. He also highlights the role of community media as a tool for empowerment, noting that it allows people to exercise their constitutional rights to freedom of expression and access to information (ibid).

Commenting on the role of community media, Hadland and Thorne, and Langa focus on this media’s ability to integrate communities and contribute to the growth of democracy. While Langa (2010: 16) notes that a community newspaper is an important component in the process of community integration and communication, Hadland and Thorne (2003: 1) believe that a vibrant small media sector represents an essential component of sustainable development and a stable democracy and that the “local focus of community media allows it to communicate directly with and through its participating communities (Hadland &Thorne, 2003: 10).

According to Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS, 2002:9), community media provide the means for cultural expression, community discussion and debate. It supplies news and information and facilitates political engagement. And through access to production and consumption of relevant communications, community media forms a collective platform for community empowerment. Often this empowerment plays out as an assumed right of access to those who write for, or run community publications, with Terry (2011: 74) noting that readers feel free to approach community journalists, with this access eventually becoming a reader’s right rather than a privilege. Citing a community newspaper publisher, Terry (2011: 76) also notes that community journalists are expected to be

instrumental in their communities, rather than being “mere instruments”. In their questioning of the importance of community media, Hadland and Thorne cite the thoughts of local and

international media analysts. Among the opinions are that community media:

 Provides a platform for the debate and public dialogue.

 Deals with commercial media’s inability to tackle local issues in an era of globalisation.

 Plays a role in socio-economic development, literacy, numeracy and cultural development.

 Plays a role in bringing about social cohesion and identity building. (Hadland &Thorne, 2003: 16)

They point out that there have been three notable developments in the community print sector since the 1990s, among them the combination of emerging black print media enterprises and not-for-profit print organisations; the emergence of a range of community newsletters; and the formation of the Independent Media Association in 2003 which represents community and independent print media initiatives and freelancers (Hadland & Thorne, 2003: 53). Also of significance in the sector was the establishment of the Print Development Unit in 2000, which preceded the establishment of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and which aimed to help the growth of the emerging print media sector (ibid).

Referring to community newspapers whose reporters live in the areas they cover, Giles (2006) writes that “an important kind of journalism takes place when journalists are embedded in their communities, with stories conveyed largely through the printed pages of local

newspapers”.

In a report on the phenomenal growth of the US weekly community newspaper, the

Cape May Country Herald, Zelnick (2006: 20), attributes this upswing largely to their decision

to focus on local news, including local government, college news and by being actively involved in their community by attending “about 40 meetings each month”. Emphasising the importance of being entrenched in the communities they serve, Kingston (2006: 59) writes that community journalists have a stake in the stories they cover, noting that “community

journalism is about reacting to your daughter’s nursery being demolished... about getting the real voice of the community out there”. And it is this approach to reporting, writes Hanusch, which results in community journalism being “part of the social cement which binds

communities together”.

2.2.2 Arts and entertainment reporting