Guy Berger, Rhodes University, Convergence South Africa Conference, October, 2005, Indaba Hotel, Johannesburg Media missing the Convergence Bill

Coming up: 1.How media have reported the Bill 2.Media as a policy factor 3.Media in convergence 4.Device convergence 5.Money and mergers 6.Conclusion

1. HOW MEDIA REPORTED 1.How media have reported the Bill?◄ 2.Media as a policy factor 3.Media in convergence 4.Conclusion

Bill: What Bill? Articles mainly in IT & business press Gerbert Vandenberghe study 45 articles online 18 in Business Day, 12 in the Star, 5 in the Sowetan, 4 in This Day, 3 in Citizen, one each in City Press, Daily Dispatch & Cape Argus.

Covered high hopes

Had our weaknesses  60% did not define convergence  65% gave no background  Most articles superficial – single aspect  Focus was on policy decisions, not on options or impact.  Language: economistic and legal,  But technical issues explained.

Showed excitement

But gaps abound  Almost 60% did not link articles to consumer issues – unless written by non-journalists  Almost zero on government objectives like universal service and BEE  GB: Just a couple of issues singled out – reactively.

Sourcing problems  Interviews: some reporters say sources ok, others crit DoC  Many reports from press releases & official sources  80% didn’t question/crit their sources  Only 40% had more than one source

Kinds of sources

Lack of independence  Gave the opinion of industry, rather than own view  Criticism comes from industry sources.  Journalists don’t question those who are negative. Reduced to black & white

Tone towards government: Comm. 2000: 30% 49% 21%

Events-focus, not issues

Second Bill  Impression of far less coverage  Circa 14 since hearings began  DA’s Dene Smuts very active!  So where are the journalists?

Many concerns reflected

Scepticism conveyed

Diverse nuances recorded

Both bills: where coverage fell  Little grasp of issues or their interlinkage  Repeated jargon “tech neutral”, licences  Exaggerated threat of website licences  Ignored Ministerial powers increase.

Flowing up-hill  Underplayed Icasa issues  Ignored significant market power debate  Weakest on the problematic process & “managed liberalisation”  Under-reporting on stakeholder responses

■ There is lack of critical analysis. ■ Reports have no follow-up. ■ The voice of the people is absent. ■ Rural issues are absent ■ There is silence on ICT policy & WSIS.  Egypt  Morocco  Cameroon  Rwanda  Ethiopia  Malawi  Mozambique  Senegal  Ghana Echoes study: Afr media & ICT done by Roland Stanbridge & Maria Ljunggren

Why the weaknesses?  Editors are uninformed on implications of information society developments.  Journalists also lack knowledge.  Newsrooms lack connectivity.  There is poor (NGO) media liaison.  There are too few women in ICT journalism.

2. MEDIA AS POLICY FACTOR 1.How media have reported the Bill 2.Media as a policy factor ◄ 3.Media in convergence 4.Conclusion

Findings 6 African countries  Kenya  Mozambique  DRC  Nigeria  Ethiopia  Senegal by Highway Africa, sponsored by Catia

Little sign of deepening a democratic role to be a vital link in public policy processes w.r.t. the African Information Society. “ ” Yet, I.S. policies impact back on media, but the two hands (media & policy) aren’t feed- ing into each other. Media help democracy …but

FINDING: The media is silent in terms of:  relevant policy agenda-setting  policy debate and formulation,  implementation,  monitoring, and  review. “ ”

1. Liberal democratic model MEDIA COVERAGE PUBLIC + OPINION GOVT RESPONDS i.e. The public is the active source of public opinion eg. Aids activists win coverage, affect govt 1 2 3

2. Muckraker model PUBLIC + OPINION MEDIA COVERAGE GOVT RESPONDS i.e. Media coverage is active source of public opinion eg. Exposure of child abuse 1 2 3

3. Bypassing Civil Society GOVT RESPONDS MEDIA COVERAGE = “PUBLIC OPINION” i.e. Media impacts on govt, irrespective of real public opinion eg. Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky 1 2

4. Manipulation model MEDIA COVERAGE GOVT INITIATES PUBLIC + OPINION i.e. Government is the originator of public opinion eg. Iraq war in US, Info scandal, discredit leader’s rivals 1 2 3

5. Propaganda picture MEDIA COVERAGE i.e. Government is the originator, circuit incomplete eg. media coverage pleases govt, but ignored by public GOVT INITIATES 1 2

Five models 1.Liberal dem – people-driven 2.Muckraker model – media-driven 3.Bypassing civil society – media govt 4.Manipulation model – govt-driven 5.Propaganda picture – govt-driven

1.Lib dem – people-driven: elitist-agendas 2.Muck-raker– media-driven: pro-media policy 3.Bypass – media govt: licensing 4 pals 4.Manipulation – govt-driven: privatising telco 5.Propaganda – govt-driven: sunshine imagery Models for Info Society policy:

SA journos on power  Can influence policy by promoting support or pressure.  Sometimes, but industry also plays a role.  Coverage can stimulate lobbying – and govt action.  Reciprocal relationship between public opinion and policy.  Media can influence, alongside lobby groups.  Some said they actively tried to influence public opinion. “ ”

Steep climb to relevance  In ‘Catia’ countries studied, there is little evidence of any model at work.  Contrary to models, media is NOT (yet) a factor there.  BUT SA shows some life –  Supports our participatory policy tradition

3. MEDIA IN CONVERGENCE 1.How media have reported the Bill 2.Media as a policy factor 3.Media in convergence ◄ 4.Media in convergence 5.Conclusion

Lobbyists on the Bill  Etv, SABC, MultiChoice, Print Media SA, OPA, NAB, Primedia.  Not much common cause made with telcos, NGOs, IT companies, other stakeholders.  Yet, convergence is slowly happening, to media - despite the dot-com bomb.

History: Computing + media  When PCs met media, went into accounting: Spread to:  Newsgathering  Editing  Management  Output platform  Enterprise & Content Managment

Once upon a time

Computers infiltrate

Internet is born: What was designed as a voice network also carries data between computers

And media joins in … 1 to 1 comms1 to many comms internet

Specifically new media

Online papers & stations

Other new media exploited

Print & broadcast blur

Quest for a dot.com King:  content,  community,  commerce,  channel (portal),  cybercity,  carrier,  community-created content?

Lord of the C-ings:  None of these “C’s”  Too web-Centric!  Royal Person not online!  = Set-back & unbundling  Reinforced divergence!

But Governing Principle:  Convergence rules across all media  The lesser “C’s” are part of the royal family …  Can be found across all platforms  Eg. Newspapers – content, community, commerce, channel, city, carrier, ccc  Now: all media incl web need to link up!

Rules of the reign:  Convergence requires co-operation among all the dukes, barons, princes …. and even the princesses!  We will see the cross-media empire start to ! Qtn: In the whole converged media pack, what platform is top flyer?

Summing up:  Telcoms and IT industry create Internet.  Media industry joins the party, mainly with Internet, but also other new ICTs.  Lines within the media industry itself start to blur.  But the media hasn’t quite grasped it! WHY?

Answer: Very complex topic! Culture Finance Policy Production+distrib Devices Media sector ICT sector Technology

Eg. changing revenue models  At present, SABC pays Sentech to deliver its broadcast. In future, Sentech may pay SABC for the content it seeks to deliver.  At present, Johncom pays Telkom for bandwidth to deliver Internet content to customers. In future, Telkom’s rival may seek to pay Johncom for the content.

Implix for the media  Value chain is changing  New revenue streams emerging  More platforms  More producers, incl audience P2P  More competition

6. CONCLUSION 1.How media have reported the Bill 2.Media as a policy factor 3.Media in convergence 4.Conclusion ◄

Summing up  Reporting the bill – scores 55%  Policy role for press – unrealised  SA a bit better than rest of Africa  SA media did lobby  But lagging in actual convergence  Need to grasp complexities of it all

Take away thoughts:  Media’s business is not just to report change, but to ride it as well.  Stand-alone media will not make it.  Convergence starts with co-operation.

However … It all hinges on reporting convergence better! - putting it on agendas of the public, policy-makers, and media owners

Step forward: HANA

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