guy berger, rhodes university, convergence south africa conference, 19-20 october, 2005, indaba...

Guy Berger, Rhodes University, Convergence South Africa Conference,

19-20 October, 2005, Indaba Hotel,

Johannesburg

Media missing the Media missing the Convergence BillConvergence 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

Legal

Other

Authorities

Companies

NGO0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

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:

Positive 11%

Neutral 56%

Negative33%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Positive

Neutral

Negative

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

GOVTRESPONDS

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

GOVTRESPONDS

i.e. Media coverage is active source of public opinion

eg. Exposure of child abuse

1

2

3

3. Bypassing Civil Society

GOVTRESPONDS

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

GOVTINITIATES

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

GOVTINITIATES

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      

telcom s I T m edia

Computers infiltrate     

telcom s I T m edia

Internet is born:     

telcom s

I T= I CT

m edia

I nternet

What was designed as a voice network also carries data between computers

And media joins in …

telcom s

I CT

m edia

1 to 1 comms

1 to many comms

internet

Specifically new media     

telcom s

I CT

m edia

new m edia: W W W

Online papers & stations     

telcom s

I CT

print

W W W

broadcast

Other new media exploited     

telcom s

I CT

broadcast

W W W ,em ail-new s-letters,PDAs,phones,billboards.

print

Print & broadcast blur     

telcom s

I CT

print

new m edia

broadcast

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

+ Centre for Learning ICTS - Clict

CLICT

Think Pieces News ResearchCommunityResources

Education

A content portal for ICT journalists: • Knowledge• Networking• Certified qualification building• HANA feed

Thank you

http://journ.ru.ac.za/staff/guy/

www.mg.co.za/converse

www.highwayafrica.org.za