RESEARCH PROPOSAL

TITLE: The preference of tabloid sensation in newspaper content by audiences in South Africa 

BACKGROUND

Newspapers are one of the oldest forms of media in South Africa and the world as a whole. Although the delivery mechanisms of content, and delivery periods have continued to evolve with the times, especially now in the 21^st century, owing to the presence of the fast advancing digital technologies and social media, the significance of newspapers has not changed much in society, including the South African society.

The constitution of South Africa requires the following of media, including newspapers:

Freedom of press and other media; the freedom to impart information or ideas Constitution of South Africa. 1996: 16). This applies to tabloid newspapers as well. This also means that the content that newspaper audiences consume has a direct impact and contribution to nation building. “There is a cynical relationship between the Press, Politics and Public Opinion. One affects the other; and one reacts to the other. The relationship can be categorised as “Push and Pull” (Ang.2014). This is one of the reasons why a research of the above is important .With regard to nation building, they contribute to but not limited to the following: moral generation, cognitive development (which is affordable by most citizens, and easily attainable), social cohesion and public opinion. This research study has chosen to conduct a research study on newspapers mainly because they are broad. Some are dailies, and some weeklies. However, every single day a newspaper is released into the market for audiences to read. What the audience reads is important as it can either build or divide a society.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this research is to explore the reasons why newspaper audiences in South Africa seem to have a preference for Sensational news or tabloid newspaper content. The reason for exploring this topic is sparked by the fact that sensational news in South Africa seems to catalyse dialogue more in the South African newspaper audiences as opposed to the factual ones.

This is problematic because it leads to three main phenomena, namely: Newspaper producing media houses news being dominated by sensational news because of profit reasons (because it is what sells newspapers), while neglecting one of their main responsibilities to society which is to educate; Audiences that do not learn anything constructive to the their personal development because of the poor content of sensation which they consume; and lastly, a degeneration in the general newspaper content in the country.

The purpose of the research is to further investigate the demographics of the newspaper audiences that mainly consume the sensational content by mainly paying attention the target audiences for different types of newspapers. In this regard, leading and contributing to the research’s exploration and attempt of explaining what this then means to the South Africa as a whole, especially consideration the impact this has on the progression of democracy.

SIGNIFICANCE

The research is significant because it will explore reasons into why newspaper audiences prefer sensation in newspaper content, if it is indeed true. Knowing these reasons will generate knowledge into how audiences can be attracted to developmental and factual content without it seeming and sounding ‘boring’. It will further explore if indeed South African newspapers prefer sensational news or whether it simply because of what they are fed, and thus do not have a broader choice into the type of content that is available to them.

The research is important because one of the biggest gaps in society is the knowledge divide or gap. Therefore, some types of audiences will always be ahead others owing to the content which they choose to consume, e.g. a reader who reads only business newspapers or business sections in a newspaper will differ from an audience that consumes gossip type of content only. This research will then explore reasons or measures that the country can explore in attempting to bridge this knowledge gap, through the study of media audiences and the content they consume in one of the oldest, affordable and easily attainable kind of media.

LIST OF SOURCES:

ANG, D.A. 2014. The role of the press in nation-building. [O]. http://www.manilatimes.net/role-press-nation-building (Accessed 05 October 2015)

South Africa. 1996. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Chapter 2: Bill of Rights. ISBN: 978-0-621-39063-6