The Last Word

The last word, as defined by Webster\u27s dictionary, describes the final remark in a verbal exchange, the power of a final decision, a definitive statement or treatment, and the most advanced, up-to-date, or fashionable exemplar of its kind. I venture to explore and utilize the meaning of this well-known idiom through the creation of visual artworks that comprise my Master of Fine Art thesis research. Within this body of visual artworks, titled The Last Word, I explore the evolution and realization of self-image through the examination of disparate and reciprocal relationships. Utilizing personal symbolic imagery, provocative text and mixed media processes, I present my last word about my own self-image. This written support paper chronicles the evolution of The Last Word, correlating the creative process with historical and theoretical scholarship

Dead Cooks

Dead Cooks is a collection of short stories set in the cities of Austin and San Antonio Texas. Some recurring themes throughout the collection are class exploitation, addiction, and cycles of abuse. Characters often feel trapped in their lives as they try to resist the cycles in which they are trapped. They mostly fail, but sometimes find moments of strange grace, solidarity, and connection

Environmental Issues in the South African Media: A case study of the Natal Witness

Environmental reporting in South Africa has been criticised for its focus on ‘green’ environmental issues. This criticism is rooted in the traditionally elite nature of both the media and environmentalists. However, both, it has been noted, are undergoing transformation. This paper tests the veracity of this assumption of representativeness in the contemporary South African press through a content analysis of key issues and themes and the race and gender of actors in environmental stories in the Natal Witness. The research shows  that this assertion of representativeness does not accurately describe reporting in the Natal Witness. ‘Green’  themes are found in almost half (48%) of the stories, as compared to ‘brown’ themes (17%), ecological  disasters (16%), resource use (5%), environmental ethics (6%) and other themes (8%). Sources and actors tend to be white (72.9%) and men (79.9%). It is outside the parameters of the study to determine whether or not this is representative of the ‘real world’ which is being reported on; the results are intended to be used to raise questions about the perceptions which such stories present to the public

Reporting on Rhinos: Analysis of the Newspaper Coverage of Rhino Paoching

The media is instrumental in providing the public with environmental knowledge and increasing environmental awareness, and is a useful indicator of established public perceptions. Analysis of media representations of environmental issues can thus contribute to our understanding of public attitudes, behaviours and perceptions and the role of the media in environmental education more generally. It can also enhance support for effective environmental management. This research, based on a qualitative design, provides an analysis of a specific environmental issue- rhino poaching – as represented in The Mail & Guardian, a prominent weekly English newspaper known for its environmental content. Fifty issues of The Mail & Guardian, published between January and December 2012 were reviewed to establish the types of articles, their size, placement and use of graphics; the actors in the articles; and the thematic framing. The majority of the articles categorised were solution-orientated, with mitigation being the most frequently coded theme. The study also indicated some limitations in the reporting of rhino poaching, both in terms of coverage of relevant issues and integrity of the content