How the Print Media Globalises South Africa from Outside and Within: A Neo-Gramscian perspective University of the Witwatersrand 02-06-2015 This thesis is presented in the partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts [International Relations] By: Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 Declaration I declare that this research report is my own unaided work. It is submitted for the partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any other degree or examination in any other university. Thandekile Tshabalala 02 June 2015 1 Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 Acknowledgements: To Mom and Dad: I do not think I have enough words or pages to describe your support and encouragement throughout my studies at Wits. In light of the sleepless nights, sweat and tears you soldiered on with me. This Masters is for you. Thank you does not even begin to cover it; your love overwhelms me. To Family & Friends: Thank you for believing inme To the Baptist Church: Your faith in me and prayers has carried me through. To Dr VishwasSatgar: Thank you for your time, patience, guidance and overall mentorship throughout this Masters. Your leadership and activist spirit has rubbed off on me greatly and allowed me to view the world more critically. With Love, Thandekile 2 Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ANC- African National Congress BEE- Black Economic Empowerment CDA- Critical Discourse Analysis COSATU- Congress of South African Trade Unions CPE- Critical Political Economy EFF- Economic Freedom Fighters EU- European Union G7- Group of Seven GATT- General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade IDRC- International Development and Research Council IFI- International Financial Institutions IMF- International Monetary Fund IR- International Relations MERG- Macro-Economic Research Group MNC- Multinational Corporations NEM- Normative Economic Model NIC- Newly Industrialised Countries PAIA (2000) - Promotion of Access to Information Act 2000 PCB- Peoples Coalition Budget PDMSA - Print & Digital Media South Africa PRSP- Poverty Reductions Strategies 3 Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 SAA – South African Airways SABC- South African Broadcasting Corporation SACC-South African Council of Churches SAHRC- South African Human Rights Commission SANGOCO- South African non-Governmental Organisation Coalition SANEF- South African National Editors Forum SAPS- Structural Adjustments Programs/Policies SSA- Sub-Saharan Africa TINA- There Is No Alternative TMG- Times Media Group TNC- Transnational Corporations UJ- University of Johannesburg UK- United Kingdom UDHR- United Nations of Human Rights UN- United Nations UNODC- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime US- United States WTO- World Trade Organisation 4 Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 Contents Page Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………..…………………….Page 9 1.2 Research Question……….…….......................................................................page 9 1.2.1 Research Questions & Topic……………………………………………..page 12 1.2.2 Aim……………………………………………………………………….page 12 1.2.3 Problem Statement& Rationale……………………………………….....page 13 Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework & Literature Review…………………………Page 17 2.1 Theoretical Framework……….…………………………………………………….page 17 2.1.1 Neo-liberalism & Neo-Realism………………………………………......page 19 2.1.2 Realism…………………………………………………………………...page 19 2.13 Liberalism…………………………………………………………...........page 20 2.1.4 Neo-Realism & Neo-Liberalism…………………………………….……page 22 2.1.5 The notion of the Historic Bloc……….……………………………….....page 24 2.1.6 Social Forces……….………………………………………………….....page 27 2.1.7 Critical Political Economy [CPE]……….………………….……………page 36 2.1.8 Critical Discourse Analysis [CDA]………………………………………page 38 2.2 Literature Review……….…………………………………………………..…….page 40 2.2.1 Globalisation& Neo-liberalism……….………………………...............page 52 2.2.2 The Media……….……………………………………………………….page 53 2.2.2.1 Media & Globalisation: Media’s power……………………………….page 53 2.2.3 Media in South Africa……….……………………………………………………page 58 2.2.3.1 Print Media in South Africa: Continuity& Change….………………...page 58 2.2.3.2 Media Transformation in South Africa…………………………………page 60 2.2.3.3 Political Economy of the Print Media in South Africa…………………page 62 Chapter 3: Research Methodologies………………………………………………..page 65 5 Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 3.1 Research Methods……….…………………………………………………..page 65 3.1.1 Mixed Method…………………………………………….……..page 65 3.1.2 Qualitative Procedure……….……………………………..…….page 68 3.1.2.1 A Thematic Analysis……….……………………………….....page 68 3.1.2.2Implementing Thematic Analysis of data……….……………..page 68 3.1.3 Quantitative Procedure…………………………………………...page 69 3.1.3.1 Executing a content analysis……………………………………page 70 3.2 Data Gathering………………………………………………...……page 70 3.2.1 News Reports………………………………………………...…...page 70 3.2.2 Elite Interviews…………………………………………………...page 71 3.1.3 Limitations……………………………………………………..…page 73 Chapter 4: A Critical Political Economy approach to the Media & the application of the neo-Gramscian notion of the Historic Bloc………………………………..….……page 74 4.1 Themes that emerged from interview transcripts……………………...…page 74 4.2 Tabled Themes from interview data……………………………………...page 75 4.2.1 Print Media’s role: Conduit for Information, facilitates debate……….page 77 4.2.2: Media Re-production: Middle Class issues & “entrenching old power relations”…………………………………………………………………….page 82 4.2.3 Globalisation: Part of the Value Chain………………………………..page 87 6 Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 Chapter 5: Case Study- the Business Day Newspaper & Globalisation……….…page 91 5.1 Globalising Discourse from Within……………………………………………….page 91 5.1.1 The role of the Private Sector in the economy…………………………………..page 91 5.2 External Globalising Discourse…………………………………………………..page 101 5.2.1 The IMF: The ‘Gospel Truth’………………………………………………...…page 101 5.3 Budget Alternatives in South Africa………………………………………………page 104 5.3.1 Other Views: Peoples Budget Coalition [PBC] on the Budget Speeches [2011- 2014]………………………………………………………………………………..…page 104 5.3.2 Tabled themes found in the Peoples Budget Coalition Statements……………………………………………………………………………..page 105 5.3.2.1 Opening up the Labour conversation: Addressing Unemployment…………...page 106 5.3.2.2 Land Redistribution & Food…………………………………………………..page 109 Chapter 6: Case Study- the Mail & Guardian Newspaper & Globalisation........page 113 6.1 Globalising Discourse from Within………………………………..……………...page 113 6.1.1 Economic Coverage: A neo-liberal view on ANC-leadership pitfalls………………………………………………………………............................page 113 6.2 External Globalising Discourse………………….………………………………..page 119 6.2.1 The IMF: A ‘key’ to growth and development problems……………………….page 119 6.3 Peoples Budget Coalition [PBC]: other conversations taking place…………..….page 122 6.3.1 Unequal Race relations Continue in South Africa………………………………page 122 6.3.2 Addressing Climate Change: Perspectives on a Greener Economy……………page 125 6.4 Some Recommendations: Lessons from the MERG Report…………………...…page 125 Chapter 7: Research Conclusions……………………………………………….…page 128 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………...........page 134 Appendix A [Interview Schedule]………………….……………………………...page 144 7 Thandekile Tshabalala 459 238 Chapter 1: Introduction “The ultimate measure of a country’s overall welfare…a window into an economy’s soul1” 1.1 Introduction: The aim of this study is to examine the ways in which South African print media reproduce the dominance of neo-liberal discourses by globalising South Africa from outside and within This can be seen through print media’s reporting of macro-economic policy issues. addition, this study looks at how South Africa’s print media legitimises and authorises particular macro-economic policy views which further a neo-liberal-centred agenda. It makes use of the Business Day and Mail & Guardian’s reports on the Budget Speech from 2011-2014 as well as International Monetary Fund (IMF) Country Reports on South Africa during the same period. This is to analyse how these newspapers report on these abovementioned case studies. More specifically, this study makes use of editorials of the newspapers because of how they best reflect the views of each paper. The study also makes use of 7 audio record and one email interview transcripts to get a wider view of the perceptions around print media and more specifically the selected papers. This research pays close attention to globalisation and neoliberalism as intertwined processes as well as the political economy of the media in South Africa and globally. It is important to understand the relationship between neoliberalism and globalisation because it helps to better elucidate the context in which this study is set. It is also important to note that this study acknowledges that there are several definitions of globalisation however; it uses the below definition of globalisation throughout the study. This paper argues that globalisation is the spread of a set of economic and financial developments that have led to the increased interdependence of economies across boundaries (Haque, 2004). This has meant the rise in international trade and movement of capital across the globe as well as transnational commerce, investment and labour which transcend national borders (Haque, 2004: 1). Globalisation also means the improvement of access to goods and services which also includes the spread of international communications that have also