| Summary: | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on aspects of linguistic communication, specifically in campus media
discourse, where portrayals of minority groups, such as African foreigners, affect the
attitudes of readers and shape public ideology regarding these minority groups. The research
examines published items in two Western Cape campus newspapers that topicalise Africa or
African foreigners in South Africa. These items, which were published over a three year
period from 2007 to 2009, are critically analysed, in order to evaluate the way in which
Africa and Africans, specifically Africans in South Africa, are represented, to determine
whether such representations make use of xenophobic language, and to gauge the potential
effects on the attitudes of student readers with regards to foreign Africans living and studying
in South Africa.
The aim of this thesis is to examine the possible (re)enforcement of xenophobic attitudes in
the campus news media by analysing how Africa/foreign Africans are portrayed in South
Africa's campus press against the background of the current xenophobic situation in South
Africa. This is accomplished by making use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA),
specifically the theoretical frameworks of van Dijk (1991) and Fairclough (1995; 1998),
which allow for critical analysis on multiple levels of discourse. While the results of the
media analysis illustrate a difference in coverage between the two campus newspapers, the
overall impression is that campus press does indeed influence the attitudes of readers, more
often than not, to the detriment of oppressed minority groups. Coverage of Africa/Africans in
South Africa in the two campus publications indicated a slight growth in empathy towards the
plight of Africa/African foreigners over the three year study period. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op aspekte van kommunikasie, veral binne kampusmedia-diskoers, waar
die uitbeelding van minderheidsgroepe, soos buitelanders vanuit Afrika, 'n invloed uitoefen
op die houdings van lesers en die vorming van openbare ideologieë ten opsigte van hierdie
minderheidsgroepe. Dié navorsing ondersoek gepubliseerde items in twee Wes-Kaapse
kampuskoerante wat handel oor Afrika of buitelanders vanuit Afrika wat in Suid-Afrika
woon. Hierdie items, wat oor 'n tydperk van drie jaar (2007-2009) gepubliseer is, is krities
ontleed ten einde te evalueer hoe Afrika en Afrikane, veral buitelanders in Suid-Afrika,
uitgebeeld word, om te bepaal of sodanige uitbeeldings gebruik maak van xenofobiese taal en
om die moontlike gevolge hiervan op die houdings van die studentelesers met betrekking tot
buitelandse Afrikane wat in Suid-Afrika woon, te bestudeer en te meet.
Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die moontlike afdwinging van xenofobiese houdings in die
kampus-nuusmedia/kampusnuusmedia te ondersoek deur die ontleding van hoe Afrika /
buitelandse Afrikane in Suid-Afrika se kampuspers uitgebeeld word teen die agtergrond van
die huidige xenofobiese situasie in Suid-Afrika. Dit word bereik deur gebruik te maak van
Kritiese Diskoersanalise ("Critical Discourse Analysis"; CDA), spesifiek die teoretiese
raamwerke van van Dijk (1991) en Fairclough (1995, 1998), wat ruimte laat vir 'n kritiese
analise op verskeie vlakke van diskoers. Terwyl die resultate van die media-analise 'n verskil
in dekking tussen die twee kampuskoerante illustreer, is die algehele indruk dat die
kampuspers wel die houdings van die lesers beïnvloed, en in die reël tot nadeel van
onderdrukte minderheidsgroepe. Mediadekking van Afrika / Afrikane in Suid-Afrika in die
twee kampuspublikasies toon 'n effense groei in empatie teenoor die lot van Afrika /
buitelandse Afrikane oor die drie jaar studietydperk.
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