The founding principle of community radio stations is to give “voice to the voiceless”. But this is not the case at many community radio stations in South Africa. The “voice”, which effectively belongs to local communities, is often abused by journalists who are driven to make money, or who clamour for fame.
What this means is that community radio stations, both rural and urban, harbour agendas that interfere with (and pervert) news and current affairs journalism. It also means that there has been an elimination or marginalisation of local news and current affairs programming at some stations. The focus has shifted to music and advertising.
Instead of trying to do more in-depth coverage of local news, journalists at these stations are inclined to seek the limelight by presenting music programmes which give them some form of local “celebrity status”. A news reporter working at a community radio station based in Umtata says all news reporters and anchors at the station are now presenting music radio programmes. He says many of them have lost interest in local news coverage and reportage because the public views them in a much less exalted light than disc jockeys or music radio presenters.
“We don’t have enough people to cover local stories in our community. Many reporters have gone into the music programming section to seek fame because there are financial opportunities that come with it,” he says.
“Once they’re presenting music programmes, the advertising department hire them as deejays on promotions as well as sales reps,” he added. “Who can stop them from this practice whilst not paying them when they cover and report news?”
At another community radio station based in Butterworth, news reporters and anchors take part in in-store marketing promotions, mobile marketing drives, retail or event marketing, and nightclub marketing. They are involved in the marketing activities of the stations by acting as sales agents selling radio airtime to local business. Others are paid by the station’s advertising section to work as deejays in in-store marketing promotions. Some are hired to act as masters of ceremonies at important functions and events.
“Inevitably, a source of income is needed. Many of the news journalists are not paid and work as volunteers. Their participation in marketing and advertising is the only way available at the station through which they can get some income,” a journalist working at the station said.
The overlapping roles pose a serious threat to editorial independence: journalists are caught in the vicious circle brought on by the demands of journalistic standards on the one hand, and sheer economic hardship on the other.
A news anchor working at a community radio station in Cala in the former Transkei says that the station does not have an editorial policy or a code of ethics that could prevent reporters from making an income by working for the advertising department.
“They [station management] can’t stop us from making money through selling airtime to local business if they can’t afford to pay us. How can we sustain [ourselves] without money?”
With many of the journalists lacking a professional qualification, they also don’t have the skills to gauge how best to perform their functions in a complex situation. Despite this, some station management members are against investing in the newsroom. A volunteer news reporter at a community radio station based in Maclear in the Eastern Cape says management’s main focus is paying full-time staff and covering operational costs.
“The news section does not have a budget. Almost everyone in the management committee does not see the importance of news. There’s really an overwhelming lack of faith in the importance of news among news journalists because of management’s negative attitude,” she adds.
Ultimately, too many community radio stations are not fulfilling their mandate. These stations are obliged by legislation to serve as a source of local information, news and current affairs; their role is not to act solely as another conduit for popular music and celebrity culture. A further (largely unachieved) ideal is that community radio should broadcast talk programmes that are based on community-interest issues, offering in-depth discussion of subjects routinely glossed over in the mainstream media.
Giving “voice to the voiceless” can only happen when news, current affairs and talk programming is valued at community radio stations across the country. Of course, there are many ways through which community radio can give voice to local communities, but quality news, current affairs and talk must be viewed as the supreme goal: these formats serve as developmental tools for the betterment of the lives of listeners.
The benefits to the stations of better news coverage are many, and include improved communication between stations and the community. Local news and current affairs encourages active dialogue, which is a lot more than music programming does. And naturally, through a proper focus on news, stations will enhance their credibility and retain editorial independence.
While it is true that many community radio stations suffer a serious lack of income and skills, one cannot forgive them for believing that news and current affairs is not their core business. Clearly, community radio workers can’t be journalists and salespeople at the same time.
There are volunteers and community journalists out there who are capable of doing good, substantive and alternative news and current affairs radio. But the sad fact is that without some serious intervention, most will continue to pursue their personal goals of money and fame.
Mbuyisi Mgibisa is a recipient of Steve Biko Memorial Award. He has worked extensively in community media, both in print and broadcast. He is currently studying media management at Sol Plaatje’s Media Leadership Institute at Rhodes University.