Disrupted for Life

An Analysis of Journalist Job Losses in South Africa—at Odds with Journalism’s Function in a Democracy

Bibliographic Data

ID21245552
AuthorsGlenda Daniels (0000-0001-5150-5971, Russian State Agrarian Correspondence University, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume41
Issue3
Pages36-48
Publication date2020-07-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAfrican Journalism Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2374-3670 • E-ISSN: 2374-3689
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/23743670.2020.1816191
OpenAlexW3107443740
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited2

This article is an explication of the experiences of journalist job losses in South Africa as digitisation in newsrooms began and then accelerated in this age of misinformation, disinformation and propaganda. Theoretically, the article is framed through one of the important roles of journalism in a democracy: that journalists make an enormous contribution to the public by shining the spotlight on those with power. In addition, journalists are meant to serve the public by being reliable conduits of information. Yet if newsrooms are depleted of staff, especially of senior journalists, how can these functions be fulfilled? The methods of research here include a survey and interviews with journalists and unionists. This shows the traumatic transitions from full-time jobs in newsrooms to freelance or “gig” work to public relations or just being “broke” and unemployed. It also shows how journalists could hardly fulfil their roles to deepen democracy given the precarity of their job situations

Democracy · Disinformation · Explication · Journalism · Media studies · Misinformation · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Social media · Sociology · Law · Media Studies and Communication

Tools

Open DOI