Media Power and Hegemony in South Africa : The Myth of Independence

This book critically explores how meanings of ‘independence’ are constructed and reconfigured by public service broadcasters in the global south, with a particular focus on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Blessed Ngwenya questions the institutional, political economy and world systems paradigms born out of coloniality which continue to influence broadcasting and media in the global south, and instead presents a radical local understanding of freedom in the present day. The author draws on detailed empirical interviews with members of staff from across the SABC, including board members, senior management, and journalists, offering an intimate insight into how the participants themselves perceive, understand, and deal with the issues and problems they face in relation to independence. Framed by a rich analysis of the historical context, this book provides readers with the theoretical and empirical toolkit needed to place the everyday experiences and needs of their subjects first, and to ultimately arrive at an accurate understanding of independence in its several senses. Contributing to growing global debates on the decolonisation of knowledge, this book is critical reading for advanced scholars and researchers of African media, culture, communication and epistemic freedom. "This book critically explores how meanings of 'independence' are constructed and reconfigured by public service broadcasters in the global south, with a particular focus on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Responding to the ideological trappings wrought by modernity and coloniality, which continue to influence the way broadcasters and media in the global south operate, Blessed Ngwenya questions traditional institutional, political-economy and world systems paradigms, and presents a radical local understanding of freedom in the present day. The author draws on an empirical study of 36 in-depth interviews with members of staff from the SABC, including board members, senior management, and journalists, offering an intimate insight into how the participants themselves perceive, understand, and deal with the issues and problems they face in relation to independence. Framed by a rich analysis of the historical events necessitating such investigations, this book provides readers with the theoretical and empirical toolkit needed to place the everyday worlds and needs of their subjects first, and to ultimately arrive at an accurate understanding of independence in its several senses. Contributing to growing global debates on the decolonisation of knowledge, this book is critical reading for advanced scholars and researchers of African media, culture, communication and epistemic freedom"-- Provided by publisher This book critically explores how meanings of 'independence' are constructed and reconfigured by public service broadcasters in the global south, with a particular focus on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). 0Blessed Ngwenya questions the institutional, political-economy and world systems paradigms born out of coloniality which continue to influence broadcasting and media in the global south and instead presents a radical local understanding of freedom in the present day. The author draws on detailed empirical interviews with members of staff from across the SABC, including board members, senior management, and journalists, offering an intimate insight into how the participants themselves perceive, understand, and deal with the issues and problems they face in relation to independence. Framed by a rich analysis of the historical context, this book provides readers with the theoretical and empirical toolkit needed to place the everyday experiences and needs of their subjects first and to ultimately arrive at an accurate understanding of independence in its several senses. 0Contributing to growing global debates on the decolonisation of knowledge, this book is critical reading for advanced scholars and researchers of African media, culture, communication, and epistemic freedom Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface Acknowledgements 1 Introduction: thought, word, and deed 2 Foundations of public service broadcasting (PSB) in South Africa 3 The early transition of the SABC from state broadcaster to post-apartheid broadcaster: global designs, local histories 4 Citizen and consumer 5 The ANC and the hazards of neo-liberal midwifery: implications for SABC independence 6 Controversies and challenges to contemporary broadcasting: a possible epistemic disobedience? 7 SABC ‘independence’ conceptions and dilemmas of universality: whither SABC? Index This book explores how meanings of 'independence' are constructed and reconfigured by public service broadcasters in the global south, and focuses on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). It is critical reading for scholars and researchers of African media, culture, communication and epistemic freedom.