A critical discourse analysis on media coverage about MXit Wallace Chigona University of Cape Town Department of Information Systems

Outline Background – What’s MXit? – Why media discourse Analysis technique Methodology Findings Conclusion

What’s MXit A Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) system Network independent –  Works on all networks MXit facts and figures – South African – Launched 2006 – Growth : 9,000 – 12,000 per day – Currently over 7Million subscribers – Mainly youth – Services – Chatting – Games

Modes of Chatting One to one chat  Between known contacts  Contacts must be added to list Chat rooms  Often based on a theme /region  Multiple people chatting  Identity hidden  Sometimes moderated MultiMix  Group of known contact chatting  Not formal chat room

Why study media discourse Media discourse Reality (socially constructed) Public opinion Cohen, 1963; Cuckier eta al 2008; Lippman, 1992; Gerbner, 1977

Analysis technique ClaimExplanation Comprehensibility (clarity)Utterance should be clear in terms of syntax and semantics TruthUtterance should match reality Sincerity (truthfulness)Checks the intentions of the speaker. Cannot be observed, can only be inferred LegitimationUtterance should be in accordance to socially accepted norms Based on four validity claims - Habermas Communicating parties should agree on the four validity claims to achieve ideal speech. Otherwise should seek clarification

Methodology Sample 24 newspaper articles: 2006 – 2008 Obtained from newspaper portals – Sunday Times, Mail and Guardian, Searched using keyword “MXit” Data analysis Analysed individual articles as well as corpus

Comprehensibility claims Questions asked: ◦ Is there use of jargon? ◦ Are there terms that are not explained? ◦ Is there evidence of obfuscation?

Comprehensibility claims … Unexplained words/concepts Mentions chat rooms (e.g. Port Elizabeth chat room, Lesbian chat room) but does not discuss different ways of using MXit – i.e chat room vs one-to-one Use of technical jargons – Jargons are meant to impress and not to inform “MXit is a mobile instant messaging application developed in South Africa that run on GPRS/3G mobile phones with Java support” Pretoria News

Truth claims Questions asked – What is said about MXit? – Are the issues and options clearly defined? – What costs and benefits have been defined and assessed? – What evidence has been provided? – Has the relevant information been communicated without distortions or omissions? – Are there ideological claims which have been unexamined?

Truth claims … Unsupported claims – Is addictive - 27 times in the corpus; no evidence provided – “Is hunting ground perverse predators intent on luring children into their clutches” – Exposes children to pornography (13 times) – Destroys relationships “Sordid Sex scare on cellphone chat system” (Weekend Post) 20 year old woman leaves partner and child for a new lover she met on MXit- New love doesn’t work, comes back. She finds new lover again, leaves again

Truth claims …

Omissions/ under -representation ◦ Benefits of MXit, e.g.  Math on Mxit  Drag counselling via MXit ◦ Nature of the application  Types of cellphone required  Asyncronous vs. synchronous

Sincerity claims Questions asked ◦ Do metaphors and connotative words promote and suppress understanding? ◦ Do metaphors or connotative words create false assurance? Note: Metaphors can evoke belief system

Sincerity claims … Metaphors used ◦ MXit is a drug ◦ MXit can lead to addiction (27 times) ◦ MXit is evil ◦ “its’ a starting point for a lot of problems” (The Star) ◦ “MXit is one of the major evils of the 21 st Century” (Cape Argus)

Sincerity claims … Linking with negative reports which have nothing/little to do with MXit ◦ Teen cocaine parties are organized through Mxit (Mail and Guardian) ◦ Teens having sex in the mall - they meet via MXit ◦ “Cops find teen who fled with MXit man” (The Star)  The girl actually was staying with another girl  It is said “she was trying to sort out her life”

Legitimation claims Questions asked ◦ Who is speaking, who is silent, what are their interests? ◦ What is privileged? What is not said about MXit? ◦ What is assumed or implied? ◦ What is missing or suppressed in the discourse ◦ How are the decisions legitimised? ◦ Who is involved? Who is not involved? ◦ What are the stakes and the interest involved or excluded?

Legitimation claims … Who is speaking about MXit?  Mainly parents (13 articles, 16 times)  Educators (7 articles)  Experts (12 articles)  Vendors (9 articles)  Youth (7 articles) – Mainly as victims Media Parents

Legitimation claims Use of experts ◦ Experts used: Educators, psychologists, detectives, etc ◦ Some experts are inappropriate -e.g. “I blame MXit, because these teenagers are meeting their contacts here and that’s when things go out of hand.” Security guard of a mall

Legitimation claims … Appeal to emotion  “destroying relationships and allowing grown up men to lure young boys and girls into traps”. Leader of ID, Pretoria News  If MXit is not banned “we’ll lose our future generation …. We will surely damage the social fabric of society”. High School Principal, Cape Argus  “.. a large base of [MXit] users are from previously disadvantaged and Mxit offers them an affordable alternative to communication” MXit vendor, Mail and Guardian

Legitimation claims … Media does not question voice of vendor ◦ Vendor has financial interest in MXit Vendor legitimise by verbally bullying critics “These claims had been grossly exaggerated and misrepresented the truth. MXit’s critics clearly did not understand the technology” MXit owners “MXit is planning to take legal steps against certain newspapers and broadcast media who have described its product as a tool for child pornography”). (The Star)

Conclusions There are distortions There are differences of opinions ….. Parents Vendor

Conclusions… MXit vs. ‘MXit’ ◦ Vendors are talking about a specific MXit ◦ Parents et al are talking about a generic conceptualisation of MXit which includes:  MIMs (e.g. Mig33, Noknok)  Broad range of mobile applications  The entire cellphone

Conclusions… Moral panic ◦ Symptoms of moral panic  Media sensationalisation of stories  Politicians join band wagon (e.g. Leader of ID)  Call for legislation to control Why moral panic? ◦ Mobile applications have created a space over which parents and educators have little or no control ◦ Scapegoating – blaming social ills on something

A critical discourse analysis on media about MXit Agnes Chigona Wallace Chigona