Democracy and the media- a view from South Africa Guy Berger

Coming up 1.In the beginning… 2.The democracy-media dance 3.Cheers for civil society 4.Praise for public sphere 5.Remembering the private 6.Predicting digital dreams

Periodising media history GHANA years of independence:

Some lessons Precolonial: original indigenous media – rock art, folk tales and drama, drums, statues, griots, hieroglyphics, Timbuctu manuscripts = rich heritage

Colonial: censorship & control = poor heritage! Lessons

early decades 1950s : nationalist media – newspapers.  1960s: national development – FM radio.  1970s: propaganda. 

democracy decades 1980s : independent press (DTP)  ? 1990s : broadcast pluralism  ?? 2000s : reform state broadcasting ??? 2010s: phones = interactive media… (digital networks, incl TV)

Summing up: Independent press = celebrate civil society! Broadcast pluralism = state makes space for civil society & business. PBS reform = state itself must change. Enough already!

Still with us… C O N T R O L

‘Barbie doll democracy is alien’ “Cultures are not suited to liberal democracy” Media role? Or? Francis Nyamnjoh: Choice of stereotypes!

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

Summing up Concepts to grasp democracy: 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: 1.History lessons 2.Democracy is universal & particular 3.CS and PS concepts → media roles 4.Synthesis advanced 5.Limitations noted 6.International dimensions

Thank you Democracy is an end in itself It runs from macro to micro Media can help to make it.