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South African journalists’ conceptualisation of professionalism and deviations from normative liberal values

Ylva Rodny-Gumede
University of Johannesburg
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South African journalists’ conceptualisation of professionalism and deviations from normative liberal values. (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 33(2), 54-69. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v33i2.1639
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  • Submited: October 15, 2022
  • Published: October 17, 2022

Abstract

In this article the question is raised of what professionalism means in the context of South African
journalism, and if there are deviations from ideas of professionalism as defined in normative
liberal frameworks of the news media in terms of how South African journalists perceive their own
role in society and as to how they define professionalism. The research is partially based on in-depth qualitative interviews with journalists from a crosssection of the South African news media, and asks questions about their own perceptions of
professional values and their own role in society. The interview findings point to South African
journalists articulating their role as one of neither watchdog nor lapdog – instead, the interviewees
all articulate their role as based on competing imperatives, in which concerns for the audience and
a broader articulation of the public interest take precedent over more liberal conceptualisations of
the role of journalism in democracy.

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How to Cite
South African journalists’ conceptualisation of professionalism and deviations from normative liberal values. (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 33(2), 54-69. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v33i2.1639

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