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Race & Representation in Post-Apartheid Music, Media & Film

Seven contributors explore the complex interface between the media and democracy. They consider legislative and policy environments necessary for the media to play a meaningful role in building democracy. While the book focus on south Africa, two contributors provide international perspectives on questions pertinent to media today.

In the form of personal essays, some of South Africa's top Journalists and journalism practitioners spell out the do's and don'ts of their particular speciality, gained by a lifetime of trial and error.

South Africa offers a rich context for the study of the interrelationship between the media and identity. The essays collected here explore the many diverse elements of this interconnection, and give fresh focus to topics that scholarship has tended to overlook, such as the pervasive impact of tabloid newspapers. Interrogating contemporary theory, the authors shed new light on how identities are constructed through the media, and provide case studies that illustrate the complex process of identity renegotiation taking place currently in post-apartheid South Africa. The contributors include established scholars as well as many new voices. Collectively, they represent some of South Africas finest media analysts pooling skills to grapple with one of the countrys most vexing issues: who are we?

This study provides an overview of relevant legislation in South Africa, pre- and post-1994, as well as a review of global trends in small media development. The report identifies interests common to small independent and community media groupings and examines ways to promote their sustainability.