Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies Vol. 3, No. 2, 2014, pp. 209-224 DOI: 10.1386/ajms.3.2.209_1 Traditional versus online newspapers: The perspective of news audiences in Botswana William Lesitaokana, University of Botswana Eno Akpabio, University of Namibia Contemporary studies of journalism and new media indicate that news audiences prefer to read online newspapers because they are generally interactive, host multimedia content and report breaking news. However, the literature on the impact of digital media technologies on traditional print publication consumption patterns in Botswana and the African conti- nent is hard to come by. Thus, this study, using multistage cluster sampling and focus group discussions, sets out to explore how audience members in Botswana engage with online news vis-á-vis traditional newspapers. It finds out that news audiences have a favorable attitude towards online newspapers but still prefer traditional newspapers, and that in Botswana specifically, access to online and traditional newspapers is influenced by factors such as cost and convenience. The study’s findings indicate clearly that while new media technologies continue to influence new trends and practices in journalism globally, audiences’ experience with these technologies differ from country to country. Keywords: Botswana; attitude; journalism; audience members; online newspapers; traditional newspapers ISSN 2001-0818 © 2014 Intellect Ltd AJMS_3.2_Akpabio_209-224.indd 209 8/1/14 7:10:41 PM 210 W. Lesitaokana and E. Akpabio Undoubtedly, journalism, particularly the printed press, has been impacted by new digital media technologies. Scholars have underlined the need to study this impact that has resulted in a dramatic shift from ‘traditional’ to ‘online’ or ‘convergence’ jour- nalism (Cottle 2000; Deuze 1999; Kawamoto 2003; Kolodzy 2006). Consequently, there are many theoretical and empirical studies that focus on the changes in news- room structures (Davis 2000; Pavlik 2000); the shift in journalists’ roles and practices (Fahy and Nisbet 2011; Granado 2011) and the increasing connection and engage- ment between newsrooms and news audiences (Lowrey 2006; Matheson 2004; Pavlik 2000). Other studies have focused on modern audiences’ news consumption styles (Ahlers 2006; Thorson 2008). Atton and Mabweazara (2011: 670) posit that while much research on new media and journalism is being undertaken in economically developed countries, only a few studies have been undertaken in Africa, hence, they call for a connection of ‘accounts of journalism in Africa with Western research’. This, of course, is a tall order consider- ing the depth and breadth of Western research on digital journalism. Also, there has been much debate as to whether the Internet qualifies as a new medium or a better outlet for news; but it appears that, for now, it supplements and complements tradi- tional journalism (Scott 2005). What is unclear in all the euphoria and dystopia about online journalism is how it compares with its print counterpart from the standpoint of audience members. More so in Africa, where traditional journalism seems to be carrying on as if the online threat that has sounded the death knell for many traditional newspapers in the West does not exist. In providing a case study of Botswana, the present study set out to compare audience members’ disposition towards traditional print and online newspapers. Traditional newspapers in Botswana In Botswana, traditional newspapers have a long colonial history, dating to as far back as 1850s.1 However, print publications, which included newsletters and news- papers, only became very popular during the lead up to Botswana’s independence in the 1960s (Rantao 1996). According to Rantao (1996), these were useful for commu- nicating electoral information and political messages, from both the British colonial government and the political parties in Bechuanaland at that time, to Botswana citi- zens in several dispersed communities within the country. Later on, a number of professionally edited newspapers appeared, including Mmegi, the Botswana Guardian, the Botswana Gazette, the Botswana Daily News, Sunday Standard, The Voice, the Midweek Sun and many others. Conceivably, the introduc- tion of these newspapers was necessitated by the growth in population and rise in literacy levels among the citizens following Botswana’s independence in 1966. Of all the newspapers in Botswana, the Daily News is a state-owned public newspaper that is distributed free of charge, and the others are commercially oriented, selling at around approximately US$1.00. Only Mmegi and Daily News are dailies whereas all the others are weeklies. AJMS_3.2_Akpabio_209-224.indd 210 8/1/14 7:10:41 PM Traditional versus online newspapers 211 Newspaper Frequency Circulation Pages Cost Daily News Daily 70,000 24 free Mmegi Monitor (Mondays) 11,000 20 P5.00 Mmegi (Midweek) 11,000 20 P5.00 Mmegi (Fridays) 22,000 52 P7.00 Guardian Fridays 19 000 52 P8.00 Midweek Sun Wednesdays 17 000 16 P5.50 Gazette Wednesdays 22,000 40 P8.00 Sunday Standard Sundays 30 000 40 P7.00 Note: P8.50 = US$1 Table 1: Profile of the main newspapers in Botswana. There are also a few foreign newspapers, such as theMail & Guardian, Sowetan and Sunday Tribune and many others from neighboring countries, which are also popular in Botswana. The increase in the number of newspapers in Botswana has, naturally, led to stiff competition for audience members. This, coupled with uptake of digital technologies in the country has led many newsrooms to devise strategies to ensure that they maintain their market share while attempting to attract other audience members. One predictable development in this regard is that almost all newsrooms in Botswana have introduced online newspapers in addition to the traditional print publications. In view of this development in the newspaper landscape, this study sought answers to the following questions. RQ 1. What constitutes the preferences and attitude of news audiences towards online newspapers compared to print newspapers in Botswana? RQ 2. What factor(s) do audience members consider as important while acces- sing print and/or online news from Botswana? Traditional and online newspapers The Internet has impacted journalism practice as it has other areas of human endeavor. Lately, many newsrooms have taken advantage of the Internet’s potential to create online news platforms that interest news audiences and extend their circulation. Today, there are many active online news sites and newspapers on the World Wide Web through which audiences read, discuss and share news content (Salwen et al. 2005). Studies suggest that the Internet has elicited changes in journalism as we know it; there are improvements in the ways journalists go about their tasks; improved relationships between newsrooms and audiences; and expansions of newsroom structures (Pavlik 2000). Scholars also see online newspapers as breathing new life into journalism, and re-engaging once skepti- cal and alienated audiences (Matheson 2004). And Pavlik (2000) places this changing character of journalism firmly in the corner of new technologies. AJMS_3.2_Akpabio_209-224.indd 211 8/1/14 7:10:41 PM 212 W. Lesitaokana and E. Akpabio Generally, expectations are that online newspapers complement print and offer extra services that include a convergence of media content, access to archives of news stories and fresh, up-to-date news and information (Bardoel and Deuze 2001; Gunter 2003; Paulussen 2004). Online newspapers also possess interactive, multimodal features (Kawamoto 2003; Matheson 2004; Paulussen 2004; Thurman 2008) and host a vari- ety of content accessible through hyper-textual links that are created to primarily guide news audiences’ interaction with online news content (Salwen et al. 2005). In this way, news audiences interact with online news content by contributing their view- points through user-generated polls, opinions, ‘Questions and Answers’, and message boards (Thurman 2008). This personal networking of news is occasionally referred to as ‘networked’, ‘participatory’ or ‘citizen journalism’ (Allan 2006; Bardoel and Deuze 2001; Thurman 2008; Xin 2011). Carpenter (2010) has singled out interactivity as the main factor that attracts news audiences to online news sites. Interactivity encompasses audiences’ comments on news stories, blogging and other user-generated information and discussions of news content. This way, public communication has been made more interactive with many comments and exchanges (Sousa 2006). Similarly, Hujainen and Pietikainen (2004: 387) identify three discourses that are related to audience interac- tivity with online news: ‘pick and choose’, ‘user in transition’ and ‘multi-voicing jour- nalism’. ‘Pick and chose’ refers to the supply and demand side; ‘user in transition’ to the active audience members when they surf the Internet for news; and ‘multi-voicing journalism’ to the dialogic and interactive nature of online journalism. Online newspapers also host news content that comprises various multimedia elements such as timelines, links, video and sound that make a news site a convergent creative environment (Verweij 2009). News convergence is driven by ‘a series of conven- tions for presenting information’ or ‘for telling stories’ (Gordon 2003: 70). Through the convergence of content, an online news story is told in various ways, and this allows news audiences to skim and scan through the content as they customize their online news consumption styles