From alienation to place-making: Overcoming creation anxiety in journalism students through blended learning

In this article, journalism students’ interaction with layout and page design software (specifically Adobe InDesign) is explored. It is an explorative inquiry into a practical research problem encountered by the author at a university of technology in South Africa. Initial observations revealed that students encountered significant challenges in performing basic layout tasks using layout software. To address this issue, a qualitative research approach was used to investigate how page layout could be taught to facilitate better comprehension of subject material. The theoretical basis of the study rests on two main postulations. Firstly, when students are confronted with new computer technologies, they find themselves in a liminal space characterised by uncertainty. Secondly, it is in this space that their uncertainty to perform basic newspaper layout techniques is manifested as creation anxiety. A questionnaire was distributed to students that informed the action research phase. Blended learning was implemented through two primary interventions namely e-learning content and video tutorials. The impact of these interventions was measured through the assessment of student work and interviews. It was found that blended learning improved students’ understanding and practical application of subject material and facilitated in mediating their creation anxiety

The urban underclass and post-authoritarian Johannesburg : train surfing (Soweto style) as an extreme spatial practice

This dissertation aims to position train surfing as a visual spectacle that is practised by Sowetan train surfers within the context of post-authoritarian Johannesburg. The author argues that train surfing is a visual and spatial phenomenon that is theoretically under-researched. As such, this study aims to decode seven train surfing videos to establish what train surfing looks like, where train surfing occurs and why individuals participate in such a high risk activity. This study, furthermore, aims to frame train surfing as a spectacle by investigating the similarities between train surfing and rites of passage (initiation rites). The author also regards train surfing as a very specific form of storytelling. The narratives conveyed in the seven videos are, therefore, interpreted to establish that train surfing is practised to ‘voice’ fatalistic feelings, societal as well as individual crises. After establishing the visual aspects of train surfing, the author focuses on the spatial context of train surfing. Johannesburg is described as both an authoritarian and post-authoritarian construct by tracing the spatial and political history of the city. When the discussion turns to the post-authoritarian city, townships and squatter settlements are analysed as being both marginal and hybrid spaces. It is argued that townships are marginal spaces due to their location, they are inhabited by the underclass and they are formed by processes of capitalism and urbanisation, and as a result of these factors, township residents might have fatalistic mindsets (Gulick 1989). The author, however, contends that township space is an ambivalent construct, and as such, it can also be read as hybrid space. Here, hybrid space is interpreted as a platform from which township residents can resist oppressing spatial and political ideologies. In this context, train surfing is regarded as one way in which train surfers use hybrid space to express tactics of resistance. After establishing the spatial context of train surfing, the socio-economic and material living conditions of train surfers are investigated. The discussion firstly, explores the underclass, as theorised by Jencks and Peterson (1990), and thereafter highlights why train surfers can be classified as being part of this sub-category. It is, furthermore, argued that Sowetan train surfers are part of a new lost generation due to high unemployment rates, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and bleak future outlooks. The author aims to establish that, as a result of their socio-economic status and material living conditions, train surfers are fatalistic, and practice an extreme activity to exert control over one area of their lives, namely their bodies. Lastly, the dissertation aims to explore train surfing as being both a risk-taking activity and a new spatial practice. The dynamics of adolescent risk-taking behaviour is explored by emphasising the psychological motivations behind high risk activities. The author argues that alienating space can be regarded as an additional factor that usher adolescents into risk-taking activities. As such, the place(s) and space(s) inhabited by train surfers, namely Johannesburg, Soweto and township train stations, are discussed as alienating spaces. Moreover, it is argued that alienating spaces create opportunities for resistance (following the power-resistance dialectic inherent to space), and as such, train surfing is interpreted as a de-alienating spatial practice that enables the marginalised train surfer to exert control over his surroundings.Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Visual Artsunrestricte

Communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR) through social networks as a new avenue for reputation management

The main purpose of this research was to investigate whether communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR) to stakeholders through social networking sites (SNSs) could be regarded as a new avenue for reputation management. This was achieved by exploring how two South African financial institutions, FNB and Capitec, communicated their CSR initiatives to stakeholders on platforms such as their annual integrated reports, websites, and two SNSs, Facebook and Twitter. This research was a phenomenological, exploratory inquiry into the phenomenon of CSR and had an empirical and a non-empirical component. The research‟s non-empirical component comprised of an extensive literature review of the research‟s three primary themes, reputation management, CSR and ethics, as well as SNSs. As part of the non-empirical component, different secondary data sets were collected that included FNB‟s and Capitec‟s CSR communication as communicated in their annual integrated reports of 2013, their websites, as well as data entries on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The empirical component consisted of interpreting textual, qualitative data sourced from the aforementioned CSR communicative products. The different data sets were analysed through discourse analyses in conjunction with two computer-aided qualitative data analysis software programs (CAQDAS), Leximancer and Centim. Throughout the research the researcher acted as a phenomenologist and aimed to explore the multi-faceted constructs of reputation and CSR. With the rise of SNSs reputation managers are compelled to manage corporate reputations in an online environment. This includes evaluating stakeholder sentiment and enhancing meaningful communicative interactions with stakeholders. As part of the findings on stakeholder engagement, a framework for reputation management on SNSs was proposed. It was posited that this framework had three functions: strategic, academic, and pragmatic. Firstly, when CAQDAS programs are used to analyse the dialogue, interactions and sentiment of stakeholders on SNSs it could enable the organisation to react timeously and strategically when negative sentiments (threats) arise. Secondly, when SNSs are re-theorised as active media where stakeholder sentiment could be measured instead of acting as mere communication platforms, it contributed to literature on stakeholder theory. Thirdly, this framework provided the reputation management discipline with a holistic and integrated analysis technique that could assist reputation managers in developing reputation management strategies that are more responsive and stakeholder-specific. As such, this framework could be adapted to suit the needs of any organisation. Although the establishment of a new conceptual framework for online reputation management formed a crucial part of this research, constructs such as CSR, ethics and moral philosophy were also explored. The research showed that African philosophy on ethics and morality, along with the construct of Ubuntu was not far removed from Eurocentric thought pertaining to morality as a universal phenomenon. Lastly, from the data analysed it was construed that the embeddedness of CSR in FNB‟s values, brand narrative and identity was directly related to the establishment of a strong corporate moral philosophy. It was also argued that the two financial institutions under investigation consciously executed reputation management strategies with the purpose of enhancing their reputations, improving stakeholder relations and/or creating competitive advantage when CSR messages were communicated to stakeholders.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015.tm2015Communication ManagementPhDUnrestricte

CSR on display: using spectacles and storytelling as stakeholder engagement mechanisms

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly used by communication professionals, not only to bolster the image and reputation of organisations, but as a means to facilitate stakeholder engagement. Recent literature suggests that social networking sites (SNSs) are suitable platforms to communicate CSR messages as these media aid organisations in creating meaningful dialogic interactions with stakeholders through purposeful engagement and the co-creation of meaning. While notions of trust creation and the forging of organisation-stakeholder bonds have been investigated, this article proposes that theoretical constructs such as archetypal plots, social visibility, spectacles and spectatorship inherent to storytelling have not been explored comprehensively within the context of CSR communication. To ascertain whether these theoretical categories manifest in practice in corporate communication, the authors examined the CSR communication of First National Bank (FNB), which was communicated on its SNSs. Through a hermeneutical analysis, it was established that FNB incorporated three archetypes, namely the Caregiver, the Innocent and the Hero, in its CSR communication. These archetypes functioned within created archetypal narratives such as the quest, adventure and transformation. Lastly, FNB framed its CSR activities as spectacles, and appropriated elements of collective fun such as viral, interactive message content to engage with its stakeholders

CSR on display : using spectacles and storytelling as stakeholder engagement mechanisms

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly used by communication professionals, not only to bolster the image and reputation of organisations, but as a means to facilitate stakeholder engagement. Recent literature suggests that social networking sites (SNSs) are suitable platforms to communicate CSR messages as these media aid organisations in creating meaningful dialogic interactions with stakeholders through purposeful engagement and the co-creation of meaning. While notions of trust creation and the forging of organisation-stakeholder bonds have been investigated, this article proposes that theoretical constructs such as archetypal plots, social visibility, spectacles and spectatorship inherent to storytelling have not been explored comprehensively within the context of CSR communication. To ascertain whether these theoretical categories manifest in practice in corporate communication, the authors examined the CSR communication of First National Bank (FNB), which was communicated on its SNSs. Through a hermeneutical analysis, it was established that FNB incorporated three archetypes, namely the Caregiver, the Innocent and the Hero, in its CSR communication. These archetypes functioned within created archetypal narratives such as the quest, adventure and transformation. Lastly, FNB framed its CSR activities as spectacles, and appropriated elements of collective fun such as viral, interactive message content to engage with its stakeholders.The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) (South Africa).http://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/com/indexam2020Communication Managemen

Care-based relationship management during remote work in a crisis: Empathy, purpose, and diversity climate as emergent employee-organization relational maintenance strategies

This study examined the relational maintenance strategies employed by organizations to maintain relationships with employees over remote/hybrid work in a crisis. Thirteen in-depth elite interviews with heads of communication and human resources from organizations on various top employer lists were conducted. The seven main themes generated from the interviews were clustered into two sets of strategies. The first set consisted of strategies that are widely accepted in current relationship management theorizing in public relations, specifically access, assurances, positivity, and openness. The second set included three emergent strategies, namely, empathy, purpose, and diversity climate. Together, these strategies reflected the lived experiences of employers as they grappled with maintaining relationships with employees remotely while navigating uncertain and ambiguous environments. The findings of this study strengthen theorizing on care-based employee relationship management in the context of remote/hybrid work during crises

CSR on display : using spectacles and storytelling as stakeholder engagement mechanisms

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly used by communication professionals, not only to bolster the image and reputation of organisations, but as a means to facilitate stakeholder engagement. Recent literature suggests that social networking sites (SNSs) are suitable platforms to communicate CSR messages as these media aid organisations in creating meaningful dialogic interactions with stakeholders through purposeful engagement and the co-creation of meaning. While notions of trust creation and the forging of organisation-stakeholder bonds have been investigated, this article proposes that theoretical constructs such as archetypal plots, social visibility, spectacles and spectatorship inherent to storytelling have not been explored comprehensively within the context of CSR communication. To ascertain whether these theoretical categories manifest in practice in corporate communication, the authors examined the CSR communication of First National Bank (FNB), which was communicated on its SNSs. Through a hermeneutical analysis, it was established that FNB incorporated three archetypes, namely the Caregiver, the Innocent and the Hero, in its CSR communication. These archetypes functioned within created archetypal narratives such as the quest, adventure and transformation. Lastly, FNB framed its CSR activities as spectacles, and appropriated elements of collective fun such as viral, interactive message content to engage with its stakeholders.The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) (South Africa).http://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/com/indexam2020Communication Managemen

CSR on display : using spectacles and storytelling as stakeholder engagement mechanisms

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly used by communication professionals, not only to bolster the image and reputation of organisations, but as a means to facilitate stakeholder engagement. Recent literature suggests that social networking sites (SNSs) are suitable platforms to communicate CSR messages as these media aid organisations in creating meaningful dialogic interactions with stakeholders through purposeful engagement and the co-creation of meaning. While notions of trust creation and the forging of organisation-stakeholder bonds have been investigated, this article proposes that theoretical constructs such as archetypal plots, social visibility, spectacles and spectatorship inherent to storytelling have not been explored comprehensively within the context of CSR communication. To ascertain whether these theoretical categories manifest in practice in corporate communication, the authors examined the CSR communication of First National Bank (FNB), which was communicated on its SNSs. Through a hermeneutical analysis, it was established that FNB incorporated three archetypes, namely the Caregiver, the Innocent and the Hero, in its CSR communication. These archetypes functioned within created archetypal narratives such as the quest, adventure and transformation. Lastly, FNB framed its CSR activities as spectacles, and appropriated elements of collective fun such as viral, interactive message content to engage with its stakeholders.The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) (South Africa).http://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/com/indexam2020Communication Managemen

Utilising an Ubuntu-centred communication management framework to analyse CSR messages on SNSs

This article is the result of qualitative research conducted on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication disseminated by two financial institutions, FNB and Capitec, on their social networking sites (SNSs). The research employed a phenomenological research paradigm to explore the interactions between the financial institutions and their stakeholders on Facebook and Twitter. Collected data were analysed by means of interpretative discourse analysis as well as two computer-aided qualitative data analysis software programmes, Leximancer and Centim. The authors categorised the financial institutions’ CSR communication in themes and coded it according to a newly formulated theoretical framework of Ubuntu-centred communication practices on SNSs. It was found that FNB’s CSR communication was based on Ubuntu values whereas Capitec’s CSR communication did not exhibit key characteristics, such as the inclusion of narratives and archetypes, sound conflict resolution strategies, and the presentation of mutually beneficial solutions to societal issues. Based on the findings, it is proposed that organisation-stakeholder interactions can be facilitated when organisations disseminate CSR messages and constructively engage with stakeholders on SNSs. Moreover, culturally-specific communication management strategies, such as Ubuntu-centred communication, should be infused in holistic communication models to foster participatory online communities which are characterised by dialogue, mutual trust and reciprocity.The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) (South Africa)http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcsa20Communication Managemen

Exploring Twitter reporting and best practices in a South African news organisation

Twitter journalism is a new phenomenon with limited local research that identifies specific models for the dissemination of news that could be used in a South African newsroom context. Identifying best practises when using Twitter alongside a primary medium of news production is crucial to understanding how to harness the potential of this social networking site. Methods to train reporters in using Twitter as a journalism tool as well as an awareness of the ethical implications pertaining to the incorporation of Twitter in mainstream news, also need to be established. This article identifies Twitter journalism in the South African context by using a local news organisation, Eyewitness News (EWN), as case study. Self-administered questionnaires and interviews were used to collect qualitative data from reporters and senior editorial staff. Based on the findings, guidelines are provided for a localised Twitter journalism model, which could be used when developing media policies, newsroom production strategies, journalism training courses and ethical guidelines that encompass the use of social media tools as necessities in mainstream newsrooms