Freedom’s just another word? Perspectives on media freedom and responsibility in South Africa and Namibia.

SOUTH Africa; NAMIBIA; AFRICA

As emerging democracies in Africa, the political communication systems of South Africa and Namibia have undergone major shifts since the early 1990s. For both these countries, democracy brought greater and constitutionally protected freedom of the media. This freedom was however seen as linked to certain responsibilities for the media to fulfil as democratic institutions. From ongoing clashes between journalists, politicians and the state in both these countries, it has become clear that there is no clear consensus about what media freedom and responsibility means in the context of these new African democracies. Drawing on approximately 50 semi-structured interviews with journalists, politicians and political intermediaries in South Africa and Namibia, as part of a multi-country comparative study, this article explores how values like freedom of speech, media responsibility and the democratic role of the media are understood by these various role players in the political communication process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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