Internet Studies - Freedom of Expression (Movie)

 

This film expresses the importance of the right to freedom of speech to all the communities of the country (and the world). The six questions (one per chapter) that are answered by the interviewee in the film are from his point of view. They are just suggestions which can be furtherly corrected or shaped accordingly by any citizen who might feel that the interviewee could have suggested them in a much better manner. An improvement of any kind will be appreciated by the right holder of this film.

Local Newspapers Just Got Dumb

Over the past couple of years, South Africa has seen a growth in independent journalism which is good for the country. The most fascinating thing about independent journalism is that, we can at least hope that it’s not influenced by the government to publish censored news. I believe that for a country to develop, the citizens must be well informed about issues that affect their country. Issues that involve the government’s failures should be brought up to the public. This is what we exactly need to be aware of the dangers that we face as citizens. I have to congratulate programs like 3RD Degree which have shown a great interest in trying to resolve problems that are inclined by the corruption and laziness of the government in the country (South Africa). It is for programs like these that we as citizens can say we know the truth about our country.

While 3RD Degree is being regarded as the winning program in journalism, what is happening to our local newspapers? The last time I read Isolezwe and ILanga which are the largest selling newspapers in my neighbourhood, they had headlines which read as follows: “a child was forced to drink whisky”; “Mrs Sheryl Cele whom is facing charges of smuggling drugs wears expensive clothes in court”. It is a sad that people practice child abuse in the country and I believe that their jail sentences should be intensified. But, that’s not the topic of this article which is why I won’t spend much time discussing child abuse. As an individual who is aware of the conditions of the country that I live in, the last thing I want to read about in a newspaper is a sad story which adds on to the problems that we have in the country. We need to read stories that involve a large portion of the public. Maybe a story like: “the rate of child abuse is increasing drastically in Gauteng”. These are news to me because they alert me about the rate of child abuse in Gauteng, not child abuse of a certain individual or family. I don’t see what is wrong with a person who is suspected of committing crime wearing expensive clothes, I mean, we have different choices. Maybe the article about Mrs Sheryl would be important to me if the newspaper reported that she bought these clothes with the money that she made from smuggling drugs. Day by day, I sense that our local newspapers are misleading us.

I understand that some publishers are taking the publishing of newspapers more as a business rather than reliable sources. My suggestion is that they should not run a business on our expenses. We can not afford to read material that is a driving force of stupidity and propaganda of political institutions. We as the citizens of this country want to know the problems that the country is facing so we can embark on trying to resolve them. Can’t our local newspapers at least have approximate statistics of the crime levels that take place in the areas that they target to sell in? Is it hard enough for them to release forecasts of where we are going as a country? How about answering questions that are a concern to everyone, questions like: “where are we compared to other countries in the world”? It is not that the public does not care about such issues; it’s the fact that the local newspapers do not want the public to care about them. These days, you get to read more about private lives of celebrities; you get to read about corrupted individuals. What about the corruption of the government? Why less about the private life of the president? I mean, he is also human right and arguably the biggest celebrity at the moment right? Some people watch generations knowing that they will get the extra coverage in one of the editions of a local newspaper. I think one can hold the local newspapers accountable for the ignorance that is taking place in certain areas of the country (particularly townships). Until they (newspapers) agree to make money from providing valuable information and content in their newspapers, we (the citizens of South Africa) are left in the dark.

Media Tribunal Hits South Africa

The issue South Africa’s ruling party (ANC) requesting the parliament to investigate the ownership and control of the print media has caused a furore amongst the organisations that are in charge of monitoring the media in South Africa.

In his article, Boyle mentions that: “the ANC branded the print media “a protection racket” and urged the Parliament to investigate the creation of a “media appeals tribunal” which would make reporters more accountable”¹.

I think that the Media Appeals Tribunal (MAT) has the potential of giving the ruling government extreme power in the media in such a way that it will only release the information that it feels is needed to be heard by the public. This is a huge disadvantage to most citizens of the country as they deserve to know most details about the government that they legitimately voted for. Media Tribunal is a beast just like the “apartheid era” which would deprive the citizens of the country vital information. The ANC is of the opinion that “the print media is too which and too commercial”². The right to information has nothing to do with race, since we are all equal and it’s good if the print media is too commercial since that works for the economy of the country.

Journalists should be handed the right to investigate all the political parties (including the ruling party) because that serves as justice for the people who are unaware of what is going on in the country, the ANC should not attempt to threaten journalists who engage in this act because the citizens have a right to information. Although the document handed in by the ANC for Media Appeals Tribunal does not specify the sanctions that would be imposed on journalists who give out false reports about the government, ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said that “the party would call for fines and imprisonment for false reporting”³. This is to threaten journalists so that they will think twice about giving out reports that are true.

A united nation is one where media freedom is practiced to its fullest potential, as media analysts say that “the protection of information Bill could kill investigative journalism, and a protection of private information bill that would also curb the work or reporters trying to probe beyond the public statements put out by the government”⁴. I believe that a fair government in which no corruption takes place should worry less about controlling the media and focus more controlling the situation of the people that are suffering from poverty in the country. The gesture of shaping up the media by the ruling party (ANC) would be unconstitutional.

A veteran editor by the name of Raymond Louw is of the opinion that:

The proposed tribunal and related Protection of Information Bill poses all kind of horrors in the gathering of information. I think one should look at the climate in which this bill has been brought in… it becomes a horrifying list of repressive act against the media by the government⁵.

The government should not have full control in regulating what can be reported and what constitutes a state secret. Different views are vital when it comes to politics and South Africa needs that since we are a country that is multi-cultural. The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) argues that: “spiteful agendas to undermine the integrity of our organisations and leadership. It goes on to say that other media institutions and organisations such as SANEF and Press Council of South Africa are equally useless in media monitoring and evaluation”⁶. I think that these are the kind of accusations that the ANC should try to remove from the media.

As I mentioned in this article that the Media Appeals Tribunal is a beast that can harm the unity of South Africa, journalists, citizens and all the involved parties should take a stand in ensuring that the government does not control the media.

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References

Type: Newspaper Article

Author:  BRENDAN BOYLE

URL:http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article577048.ece/ANCs-media-tribunal-plan

Date Added: 05 October 2010 12:57:15 PM

Modified: 05 October 2010 12:57:47 PM

Type: Newspaper Article

Author:  Christopher Szabo

URL: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/295523

Date Added: 05 October 2010 01:51:00 PM

Modified: 05 October 2010 01:51:37 PM

Individual Identity in the Modern World

Many factors have shaped the perception at which individual identity has been considered in Africa over the past couple of years. These include language, culture, race and class, etc. I’m aware of the fact that modern ideas of individual identity are different from those that were encountered by our ancestors. I aim to prove in this essay that our ancestors existed in a time where things were done differently; and that most African countries adopted practices of European countries that colonized them.

It has to be understood that by the word ‘lifestyle’, I mean: the ways in which African people carried themselves, their values, the politics of African continent and also the ways in which African countries dealt with socio-economic issues. Our forebears encountered severe circumstances such as: slavery, hegemony, and prejudicial issues to mention a few. They were forced to believe that they were inferior to the people that colonized them which were mainly Europeans. This lead to them being ill-treated; some were sold to countries abroad (mostly in Europe) Michel (1993; 01) and some were abused by the colonizers. The concept of colonization was widely practised across the continent because it seemed right; that there was nothing wrong with binding people (particularly Africans) with chains while there were working.

Unlike during the era of our ancestors’ hardships which pushed them to fight for independence, the post-colonisation generation is now experiencing different circumstances. Some people in some countries are enjoying their independence while some continue to suffer. Although Africa has gained its independence, there are some practices that were imposed by the European countries that still affect the continent. Practices such as: gender inequality, racial issues, class, and language to state the least.

In the Politics of Recognition, Taylor (1994; 35) mentions that:

Some feminists have argued that women in patriarchal societies have induced to adopt a depreciatory image of themselves. They have internalised a picture of their own inferiority, so that even when some of the objective obstacles to their advancement fall away, they may be incapable of taking advantage of the new opportunities.

Taylor’s (1994; 35) argument shows exactly how the difference in terms of gender can shape one’s identity. This leads to women being oppressed and subconsciously abused for their ‘misrecognition’. The definition of misrecognition that I would like to use in this essay is the one quoted from Taylor that, “misrecognition is when an individual is misunderstood of who s/he is and when his/her characteristics (or Rights) as a human being are ignored” (1994; 35). This shows that there are certain Rights in the South African constitution that are ignored. Rights such as: “equality, which states clearly that everyone is equal” South African Bill of Rights (1996; 1274). It is pretty much evident that this right is however widely ignored in my country which is South Africa because gender inequality is practised in almost all every region of the country. One might argue that other races practise gender inequality more than others which could possibly mean that each race has its own way of perceiving women and that their treatment varies from race group to race group. One objection that I aim to accomplish in this essay is that of discussing the problem (misrecognition) regardless of where it is practised in the country so that who ever reads this article can avoid misrecognition before s/he starts to engage in it.

Govender argues that: “Whilst the South African liberation struggle was said to be a struggle for freedom for all South Africans, the issues of race and class were seen as more urgent than that of gender” (2001; 50-51). This means that gender equality was seen as less important than the issue of race and class and it is now affecting a lot of people (particularly women) since they are portrayed as less capable than men. We have witnessed many points coming to this issue, one being that women are less likely to obtain top employment positions in certain institutions. If we can put this discussion into a short examination, it shows that, for there to be equality in terms of gender, men would have to change the way in which they view women; they are also going to have to change the ways in which they treat women.

Another issue that has to be examined when it comes to individual identity is that of Race. Taylor is of the opinion that: “…an analogous point has been made in relations to blacks that, the white society has for generations projected a demeaning image of them, which some of them have been unable to resist adopting. Their own self-depreciation, on this view, becomes on of the most potent instruments of their own oppression” (1994; 35). There are two factors which might lead to this accusation: one being that some black people believe that white people are still using the power that they had during the apartheid era, and the other being that black people still feel like they haven’t being given the opportunity to reach the class of white people in terms of owning better businesses and living in better places. Taylor’s (1 994; 35) argument clearly indicates that one should act and behave in a way that s/he would want to be identified. Some black people believe that white people are not indigenous people of Africa and that they came to Africa during the era of explorers. You also find black people who embrace white people as natives of Africa. This is again the point where individual identity matters the most. It’s all about having to understand and meeting one’s culture before concluding about it. Meeting a different culture means that one has to welcome, accept and therefore respect its customs and practices.

“Misrecognition” Taylor (1994; 35), can lead on to feel unwelcomed and inferior to the society. Over the past years, there have been many suicidal incidents in South Africa because of people feeling that they were misunderstood by their own communities. From schools, to working departments it has affected us. I however believe that the South African government can take control of the situation by introducing institutions which educate more about the importance of individual identity. That way, our country can overcome the issue of misrecognition and racism which arise from individual identity, Taylor (1994; 34).

Language is also another key point that matters the most when it comes to individual identity. South Africa is a country with eleven official languages. You find people communicating in Zulu, Sotho, Xhosa or even English. In the modern world, English is the main language that is widely used in the country. One key reason for this is because of the fact that English is an international language; it is used by most countries to communicate.

Ngugi, (1986; 26) cited in Okara that:

Although this might sound like the right solution to Africans who want to protect their mother tongues and therefore introduce them to the rest of the world, difficulty is the time that it will take to translate the language. Another problem we might experience is that, we could find errors in books that have been translated which would sometimes lead to court be cause of copyrights violations.

One thing that I appreciate about Okara’s argument is the fact that it’s good information written in a language that is easier for me to grasp. I think it’s silly not to consider English as an African language because of the fact that it is assumed that it was brought to Africa by the imperialists.

Achebe (1975; 30) is of the opinion that:
A national literature is one that takes the whole nation for its province and has a realised potential audience throughout its territory. In other words, it is a literature that is written in the national language. An ethnic literature is one that is available only to one ethnic group within the nation.

I agree with Achebe (1975; 30) in the above citation because, I also think that English is an African language since there are African based people (like whites for example) that speak English. I think it’s very important for the world to have one language that it can use as a medium of communication. That way, there’s a certain spirit of unity and we are able to understand one another, which makes it easier for countries to participate in the international politics and therefore be able to trade with one another. One has to accept that the world communicates through English; it is a fact that is almost impossible to change.

It appears to be a good thing that the youth of today has inherited what our ancestors fought for which is liberation and equality. Civilisation is finally starting to take a balance across the globe. On the note of individual identity, I don’t think that Africa can go very far in terms of equality if it promotes issues like: gender inequality, racism, the war of languages which bring up a diversion in the continent.

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References

Ngugi Wa Thiongo (1986). The Language of African Literature
Bibliography: In this article, Ngugi tries to address authors to fight for the rights of writing in their native languages in order to assure that they (languages) don’t die and therefore allowing English to dictate. He stresses that authors should be proud of their mother tongues.

Achebe C (1975). The African Writer and the English Language
Bibliography: Here, Achebe argues that National and ethnic literature are two different things. He goes on to saying that a national literature is the one that is used mostly by different people in the country.

Charles Taylor (1994). The Politics of Recognition
Bibliography: Taylor’s story is about the importance of recognition. It talks more about the complexities of mis-recognition that exist in Africa (in South Africa to be more specific).

Krijay Govender (2001). Subverting identity after 1994: the South African Indian woman as playwright.
Bibliography: In her article, K. Govender focuses more about Gender inequality and racial issues looking more at how Indian women have been identified in South Africa. She also shows how they have tried to solve the matter.
Thomas Michel, S.J. 1993. New forms of colonization in the world today.
Bibliography: In this article, Michel talks about different forms of colonization that are taking place in the modern era.

Media Censorship: Looking at North Korea and South Africa

Media censorship can be defined as a term which refers to situation where certain activities are not broadcasted in the media for particular reasons that arise within the boundaries of the country in which media censorship is taking place. In this article, I will discuss the part of ‘media censorship’ where the state (specifically the ruling government) has a large ruling degree to a level where it’s controlling the media.

North Korea is known to be the country which practices more media censorship than any other country in the world according to the reports released by the independent, non-profit committee to protect journalists (CPJ) which gathers annual statistics on the number of journalists killed, threatened or harassed as a way to monitor global press freedom ¹. One main reason the ruling person or government practices media censorship is the fact that it wants to keep away the critical analysis of the government’s performance from the public; it also wants the citizens of the country to bear perceptions that it is fulfilling its promises.

This should be a concern to every individual involved since the opposing voice should be heard because it’s not like the doctor is always right about medical incidents, so, why should the ruling party be always perceived right about its political views? Views of journalists and of the press at large should be expressed to a degree whereby the public can be properly addressed, therefore aware about the current affairs that are taking place.

The rating degrees of censorship are normally compiled by considering 17 different benchmarks such as censorship laws; imprisonment and harassment of journalists; restrictions on private Internet access; jamming of foreign news broadcasts and the degree of the state’s control of the media².

Looking at my country which is South Arica, the media is also censored and the citizens are forced to comply with the government for this practice. The only difference is that, the punishment of journalists, press releases etc. which oppose the government are not similar to those that are witnessed in North Korea. According to a research that I did about the subject, it stated that:

The chief censor who is Interior Minister Theophilus Ebenhaezer Donges, son of a Dutch reformed clergymen. By law, he can ban anything he considers “indecent, obscene or…objectionable,” and no court can overrule him. While his government is conducting an official inquiry into the policies of its own press and ceaselessly snipping at foreign correspondents who report from South Africa, Donges has cut off more and more books and magazines for outside³.

 This means that we (the citizens) can only access the source of information that is considered right for us to read by the people who are in charge of media censorship in our country. Apart from this practice being unfair, it leaves most individuals in the possibility of being easily exposed to propaganda.

In the New York Times article, A. Brink mentioned that:

One, cynically named the protection of information bill, would give the government excessively broad powers to classify information in the “national interest”, the other, which would create a “media appeals tribunal” to regulate the printed and electronic press, is written in language chillingly reminiscent of that used by the apartheid regime to defend censorship in the ‘70s⁴.

It appears to me that we are still in the era of dictatorship, where small elite has control over a large number of people; it’s much of an act where we as citizens are restricted to reach only certain boundaries of information which limit our knowledge by a certain percentage. We are still stuck in a tyrannical regime which bears memories of the apartheid era.

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References

Silence in South Africa

Type: Newspaper Article
Author: André Brink
Publication: The New York Times
Date: September 11, 2010
Section: Opinion
ISSN: 0362-4331
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/opinion/12brink.html
Accessed: 17 September 2010 11:15:28 AM
Library Catalog: NYTimes.com
Date Added: 17 September 2010 11:15:28 AM
Modified: 17 September 2010 11:15:28 AM

The Press: Censorship in South Africa

Type: Magazine Article
Abstract
The South African government, harassed by taut racial tensions, is as sensitive as a naked nerve to everything that affects South Africa, including what its people read. The Malan government...
Publication: Time
Date: November 12, 1951
ISSN: 0040-718X
Short Title: The Press
URL: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,889285,00.html
Accessed: 17 September 2010 10:48:34 AM
Library Catalog: Time.com
Date Added: 17 September 2010 10:48:34 AM
Modified: 17 September 2010 10:48:34 AM

FIFA World Cup 2010: Is FIFA Justified in Allowing North Korea To Compete?

Type: Newspaper Article
Author:  Dan Treadway
Publication: Bleacher Report
URL: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/409122-world-cup-2010-is-fifa-justified-in-allowing-north-korea-to-compete
Date Added: 24 August 2010 01:42:40 PM
Modified: 24 August 2010 01:43:25 PM
Notes:
The Government of North Korea recruited people to be fans in the 2010 FIFA World Cup that took place in South Africa. Since we (me and my team) are covering a story based on the Government and Media Censorship in North Korea, this article will show what was happening in North Korea while most countries in the world were enjoying the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

North Korea Tops Media Censorship List

Type: Newspaper Article
Author:  Judy Aita
Publication: Washington File United Nations Correspondent
Place: United States of America
URL: http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2006/May/20060502164318atiayduj0.5161707.html
Date Added: 24 August 2010 01:27:37 PM
Modified: 24 August 2010 01:29:34 PM
Notes:
North Korea practices more media censorship than any other country in the world. This article shows the measures that are taken by countries like North Korea which practice media censorship at the maximum level. It further teaches about the consequences that are suffered by sources like television channels and journalists that oppose the government through media.

Defining Freedom of Expression

My name is Mnqobi Duma and I'm a student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. I am currently studying Management & Communications which appears to be one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in my life. The reason I find this course interesting is that it teaches one how to communicate and be heard in the public. This is one important skill that every individual should acquire since communicating is very important in everyday life.

Full Name Mnqobi Duma, I was born in Umlazi, Durban in the central province of KwaZulu-Natal. One of my goals in life is to have many recipes of being successful. How often do we hear people wanting to be successful without having a plan to place themselves in that position? I believe that once I can make sure that I have constructed a firm foundation, I can never go wrong in life. One thing to know about me is that I'm a part time musician and I like doing more research based on entertainment because I find it very interesting. Another issue that I will be taking into account in this blog is that of teaching the rest of the world about the place that I come from which is Umlazi (Township). A lot of people have wrong perceptions about townships and I am just here to rectify that problem.

I would like to let any reader of this post know that every issue that will be discussed in this blog will be well founded and researched, I promise to use the most effective sources to support my views and arguments about any subject matter that I touch. Sources like the Wikipedia, New York Times, Google, Mail & Guardian will be prominent in this blog cause my aim is to make the posts as interesting as possible. Also keep in mind that I will be referencing from other sources such as TV shows, radio, peers, friends etc just to share views of mass public rather than sole ones. I spend a lot of time watching informative channels that deal with what's happening in the modern era, this is to make sure that I stay intact with what's happening today. My favorite reading sections are those that stress a lot about racial issues and segregation. I like evaluating a lot about the differences that exist between different cultures in the world.

According to my perception, I think that the term 'Freedom of Expression' describes a scenario whereby an individual is able to express what ever views that s/he beholds without any limitations and censorship. I feel it is great for the press to adopt this terminology because the more people are able to express themselves, the more the public gets know the truth and what's affecting the world. We all know that the government tries its best to control the media boundaries within the country, so, it's very vital to have some part of the media that expresses views effectively. Because really, I don't think that there should be limitations on press freedom!