Transcript Theorising media-democracy

Democracy
and the mediaa view from South Africa
Guy Berger
Coming up
1.
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In the beginning…
The democracy-media dance
Cheers for civil society
Praise for public sphere
Remembering the private
Predicting digital dreams
1389
1666
1896
Periodising media history
GHANA 2007
50 years of independence:
Some lessons
Precolonial:
original indigenous media – rock art, folk
tales and drama, drums, statues, griots,
hieroglyphics, Timbuctu manuscripts
= rich heritage
Lessons
Colonial:
censorship & control
= poor heritage!
early decades
•1950s: nationalist media –
newspapers. p
•1960s: national development – FM
radio. p
•1970s: propaganda. i
democracy decades
•1980s: independent press (DTP) p?
•1990s: broadcast pluralism p??
•2000s: reform state broadcasting ???
•2010s: phones = interactive media…
(digital networks, incl TV)
Summing up:
• Independent press
= celebrate civil society!
n
• Broadcast pluralism
= state makes space for
civil society & business.
n
• PBS reform
= state itself must change.
Enough
already!
Still with us…
CONTROL
‘Barbie doll democracy is alien’
Francis Nyamnjoh:
Or?
“Cultures
are not
suited
Choice to
of
stereotypes!
liberal
democracy”
Media role?
Elections = universal
But, like anywhere, they are just
one part of the story…
Definitions
•M&D = two institutions
– With historically specific forms
• So look at processes &
functions.
• African democracy vs Western?
– But: apples & oranges still
count as edible foodstuffs
Concepts
to grasp up
Summing
democracy:
State
Govt
Society at large
Public
sphere
Civil society
Civil
Society
Public
Sphere
Making democracy work:
the CS paradigm
•Civil society
– ushers in African democracy
– keeps a government on its toes.
• The media is expected to express CS’s
democratic role (eg. Human rights).
•Qtn: Rural areas – CS sparse?
•Qtn: Sustainability?
•Qtn: is Business included?
Civil Society & media
•Non-state activities
– Organisations, churches, (businesses?)
– Do they have their own media?
– Is that cost-effective and feasible?
• Is media
outside of civil society?
– Or at least different to the rest of cs?
• What about community media?
Civil Society- assumptions
“state bad, civil society good”
•But what of
democratic
qualities in
state?
•What if private
media is part of
the problem?
Civil Society- limitations
• Summing up CS complexities:
– Can’t apply willy-nilly to African media.
• Instead, we have to think about:
–Donor-driven and urban bias,
–Business as ally for democracy,
– Not all media being within or part of CS,
– Get past good-bad dualism.
Enter PS paradigm
•Public sphere
– where democracy lives.
•Qtn: Singular or plural?
•Qtn: Includes civil society & state?
•Qtn: Private & primordial realms?
How PS works
• Public (
opinion):
– Impacts on exercise of power
– Sets agendas, limits “the possible”
• Sphere (of influence):
–
contrasts to governmental & private.
• Not all politics is public sphere
PS implies a realm distinct
from force.
Re-thinking Public Sphere
•Contrary to Habermas’
(normative) view:
– non-democrats are involved;
– irrationality is a force.
• Result: ever-moving & re-sizing space.
• Africa: state-owned media has reach
& languages for an urban + rural PS …
CS & PS enrich each other
• PS sans CS … is
sterile
(or coloured by govt/business)
• CS sans PS …
lacks a centre.
The logic leads to media
Both CS and PS see role for media, but:
• CS sees media broadly
(eg. Including banners; song; drama);
– PS sees the classic mainstream.
• CS → private press + community radio;
– PS sees a role for state-owned media.
PS as holistic
• PS looks at role of
all media.
• PS ideal: totality of voices needed,
– Place of ps-style journalism ethics reflecting
the full spectrum?
– Degree of pluralism & dialogue is an issue.
• PS embraces: impartial PBS, + partisan
private media, + community media +
even govt media.
Role of media
• CS suggests rights against the state,
(watchdog & community media IDs)
• PS suggests rights through the state
(forum & educational media IDs).
Thus, PS = strategic view of state:
– Transform government-controlled media,
– Promote enabling regulation,
– Develop notion of citizenship.
Happily ever after?
• Need both together – lesson
of
African media history.
• Trajectory:
– From civil society to public sphere,
– And beyond, a continuing contribution.
• Communications central to it all.
Horizons:
Globalisation
The issues:
• Global agendas?
Only security?
• Transnational
public space with
diasporas?
• African continent
public space?
• African cybersphere
with cellular media?
Conclusion:
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History lessons
Democracy is universal & particular
CS and PS concepts → media roles
Synthesis advanced
Limitations noted
International dimensions
•Democracy is an end in itself
•It runs from macro to micro
•Media can help to make it.
Thank you