A Rhetorical Analysis of SABC 3’s Flagship Bulletin: In what ways does the SABC succeed and/or fail in persuading viewers that its version of the news is credible? Nkoala (Mcimeli) Sisanda – MCMSIS001 A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in Rhetoric Studies Faculty of the Humanities University of Cape Town 2015 COMPULSORY DECLARATION This work has not been previously submitted in whole, or in part, for the award of any degree. It is my own work. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this dissertation from the work, or works, of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referencUniversityed. of Cape Town Signature: SB Nkoala Date: 10 February 2015 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town Plagiarism Declaration CENTRE FOR FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES/ CENTRE FOR RHETORIC STUDIES FULL NAME: SISANDA (MCIMELI) NKOALA STUDENT NUMBER: MCMSIS001 CONTACT NUMBER: 073 138 5564 SUPERVISOR: DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR PHILIPPE-JOSEPH SALAZAR Plagiarism Declaration 1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and pretend that it is one’s own. 2. I have used the Harvard convention for citation and referencing. Each contribution to, and quotation in this essay from the work(s) of other people has been acknowledged through citation cited and referenced. 3. This dissertation is my own work. 4. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her own work. 5. I have done the word processing and formatting of this assignment myself. Signature: SB Nkoala Date: 10 FEBRUARY 2015 i Abstract This dissertation sets out to add to the existing body of research on the SABC by performing a rhetorical analysis of SABC 3’s flagship English news bulletin, broadcast between 18:30 and 19:30, weekdays, and 19:00 and 19:30 on weekends. The purpose of this analysis is to determine the manner in which the SABC attempts to position itself as a credible news source through its use of the rhetorical tools of persuasion. As texts presented to an audience with the intention of persuading them of certain ideas, it is possible to study and analyse television news reports by employing the same rhetorical analysis techniques that one would use when analysing a political speech or any other rhetorical text. This dissertation is broken up into two major sections. Part one will discuss the theories and research around the notion of television news as rhetorical texts, setting the stage for part two of the dissertation, which will actually perform a rhetorical analysis on selected news stories aired on SABC 3 over a period of 30 days. The key conclusions from this research are that the SABC frequently employs the pathos proof in its reports, primarily through the reporters using emotive language in their scripts, even though this is not always accompanied by corresponding footage. Instead of relying primarily on reporters to state and interpret the emotional aspects of the story, the broadcaster should be using its visuals to do this, drawing on the television journalism principle of ‘show, don’t tell’, where visuals are the primary means through which a story is told, not the words. What the broadcaster should instead be doing is using the logos proof more, to make sound arguments for some of the claims that are made in its reports. The second key conclusion is that the broadcaster relies on the epideictic genre of rhetoric in most of its reports, when the deliberative and judicial genres would be more fitting. The SABC has lost a significant number of viewers from the days when it was the sole television news broadcaster in South Africa, and there were no other alternatives. This dissertation shows that one of the main reasons for this is that the public broadcaster is failing to produce its news reports in a manner that correctly employs the tools of rhetoric to persuade viewers that its version of the news is credible. ii Acknowledgements I would like thank my supervisor, Distinguished Professor Philippe-Joseph Salazar, whose knowledge of rhetoric has made me develop a keen interest in the discipline, and whose generosity helped me secure funding and support through the AW Mellon Scholarship. I would also like to thank the head of the Film and Media Department at the University of Cape Town, Professor Ian Glenn, who devoted time and energy to assist me while Professor Salazar was on sabbatical. Thirdly, I would like to thank all of my friends and family for their immense support and understanding over the past two years, more especially my dear husband, Fusi, who has been a pillar of strength. Finally I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my late father and mother, Fumanekile and Nobuntu Mcimeli, whose own passion for academia helped mould me into who I am today. To God be the glory. iii Table of Contents PLAGIARISM DECLARATION.............................................................. I ABSTRACT ....................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................. III TABLE OF CONTENTS ................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................. IX LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................ X 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Focal Research Problem and Questions ..................................................................................................... 2 1.3.1 Key Terms ........................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Relevance of this Research ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.5 Structure of Dissertation ........................................................................................................................... 5 1.6 Limitations of the Study ............................................................................................................................. 5 1.7 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 8 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 9 2.1 Key Texts for this Dissertation ................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Other Relevant Texts ............................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 15 3. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ...................................................... 17 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 17 iv 3.2 Rhetoric and Television ........................................................................................................................... 17 3.2.1 Television as a rhetorical text......................................................................... 17 3.3 Television News Bulletins as Rhetorical Texts ......................................................................................... 20 3.4 Aristotle’s Rhetoric and Television News ................................................................................................ 22 3.4.1 Orator ........................................................................................................... 23 3.4.2 Audience ....................................................................................................... 28 3.4.3 Text ............................................................................................................... 30 3.5 The Rhetorical Situation .......................................................................................................................... 32 3.6 The importance of context ...................................................................................................................... 34 3.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 35 4. RATIONALE OF METHODS ......................................................... 36 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 36 4.2 Textual