While in his youth Cedric Mboyisa used to save up enough money to get a copy of the newspaper South Coast Herald. The pages of the newspaper helped improve his command of English and ignited his interest in the world of journalism and communications. More than two decades later Mboyisa now a seasoned journalist, editor and communicator went back to his roots to do a dissertation on the publication.
Mboyisa recently graduated with a Masters in Social Sciences, Media, and Cultural Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His research topic was Regional newspapers and their diverse readers: A case study of the South Coast Herald and its reception in rural, township and suburban areas.
Mboyisa is originally from a rural village known as Gcilima on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. He has been an avid reader of the newspaper, the South Coast Herald, since his teenage years when he was still a learner at Phathwa Secondary School, also located in Gcilima. A son of a (now retired) domestic worker, every week, he would save just enough money to get a copy of the newspaper, which also helped him to improve his English literacy.
After completing his Grade 12 (matric) in 1999, he relocated to Gauteng to pursue a career in media. He entered the world of journalism in May 2004 when he joined Caxton Community Newspapers (comprising titles or community newspapers such as Alex News, North Eastern Tribune, Rosebank Killarney Gazette, Sandton Chronicle, Northcliff Melville Times, Fourways Review and Midrand Reporter) in Johannesburg as a cadet reporter assigned to Alex News.
The following year he moved to North Eastern Tribune (also within the Caxton stable) as a fully-fledged reporter and later joining Rosebank Killarney Gazette in early 2006 as the paper’s news editor. In the same year (2006), he returned to Alex News as editor. He was then headhunted by The Citizen in November 2006. He worked for the daily national newspaper as a senior journalist, specialising in political reportage before being appointed political editor of the paper in early 2009. He left the publication in October 2010 to join City Press as a specialist political writer.
After seven years of journalism, he joined the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa (Cape Town) in November 2011 as the institution’s newsroom (committee communication) specialist. He was in charge of a team of nine principal communication officers tasked with providing communication support to all 54 (at the time) parliamentary committees from both Houses – the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.
After a period of four and half years in the employ of Parliament, he joined the South African Sugar Association (SASA), based in Durban, in May 2016 as the communications and media manager (and was later promoted to group communications and media manager, the position which he currently occupies). SASA represents the sugar industry in South Africa and operates in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.
Cedric Mboyisa argues in his study that community newspapers are also to represent a range of demographics of citizens in their content, including social, economic, ethnic, age, cultural and political
He has a combined total of 19 (now 20) years in the fields of media/journalism (seven years) and communications (13 years). He holds a BA Honours Degree in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of Witwatersrand (and now a Master’s Degree in Social Science, majoring in Media and Cultural Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal). He is a former adjudicator of the annual Caxton Awards, which feature all the group’s community newspapers from all over South Africa.
Below is an edited synopsis of findings from his dissertation.
While Rush (2021) submits that the newspaper’s approach to news is driven and underpinned by the newspaper’s mission to be “leaders of local news” with “hyper-local” content, two thirds of the study participants or respondents posit that the news content is unmistakably pro-suburban areas, with the content focusing on issues which are mostly relevant to the white, to an extent Indian, populations in the region. Based on the responses of the study participants, they submit that there seems to be a deliberate and intentional agenda/drive on the part of the newspaper to exclude the content relevant or pertinent to readers in rural and township areas. The manner in which they (readers) decode the media texts or messages embedded in the stories or articles or editorial content points to an oppositional reading with regards to their interpretation and understanding. Explaining the significance of content diversity, Reid and Malila (2020, 32) posit that:
“Media content diversity also involves the diversity of representation. There are a range of so cio-cultural indicators which have been identified as pertinent in measuring content diversity within the media for the South African context. As a result of the diverse language, cultural, ethnic and religious groups within South Africa the measurement model must identify the manner in which different racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, linguistic minorities (and majorities) are represented in the media. Diverse content would ensure that these groups are satisfactorily and distinctly rep resented in the media. It is also important to gauge whether these groups feel that they are fairly represented in the media”.
Rush (2021) admits that the newspaper has for a long time been perceived as pro-white. In addressing the concern or perception, Rush (ibid.) states the paper has embarked on a process of introspection to ensure that its coverage or content is indicative or reflective of the diverse population it serves.
Importance of Media (Content) Diversity
South Africa is a diverse country with people from different walks of life. It is a nation teeming with citizens of various backgrounds, cultures, languages, traditions, religions, races, tribes, classes and so forth. It is a heterogeneous society. Since the advent of democracy in 1994, the principle of embracing diversity has gained traction from almost sectors of society. In relation to community media, Swanepoel (2012, 152) posits that, “Geographically defined community newspapers have an important task to reflect the diversity of the community as a whole”. The watershed Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (2005) workshop proved critical in assisting to come up a widely accepted comprehensive definition of community media and the concomitant attributes thereof. Flowing from this, of particular significance, is the requirement for the community media to espouse and promote diversity when it comes to its content. In unpacking community media, Metula and Osunkunle (2019, 935) avouch that:
“There are five characteristics that describe community media, including community newspapers, and they are: localism, diverse participation, storytelling, deliberation and empowerment. It must also be noted that community media are usually created where residents are, at a specific geographical place, and the duty of community media is to explore local issues. It also helps to differentiate and define places where people live and how people relate to others. Culture and local values are part of the issues that community media are likely to reflect on. Diverse participation is therefore necessary and it is when community media involves the broader community. The inclusion of diverse voices within the community must therefore be insisted on in order to emphasise community participation. Community newspapers are also to represent a range of demographics of citizens in their content, including social, economic, ethnic, age, cultural and political”.
My comment:
The hymn “To God, be the glory, great things He hath done” comes to mind. Oh, I have seen miracles in my life! This sinner is highly favoured by our Heavenly Father, the omnipotent and omniscient God whose unconditional love and protection located me from pre-mortal existence to this day. I am nothing without God. Furthermore, I dedicate this dissertation to my ancestors. In the words of an American philosopher, “Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.”
In other words, I am because you are, without you having been, I would have not been.
