ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that there is an urgent need to interrogate, uncover and unsettle power in the existing media models. The experience of democratization in South Africa demonstrates the necessity for a contextually embedded approach to the role of media in transitioning societies. Media in Africa are increasingly discussed in terms of their relationship to the liberal democratic concepts of media freedom, freedom of expression and media accountability. The democratization process in transitional societies around the world – and also in Africa – has been far from uniform. The political transition in South Africa has had a noticeable influence on media democracy that emphasizes the need to adequately assess and account for the specificities of the post-apartheid context, especially as it pertains to the media landscape. Public-broadcasting policy frameworks in African contexts veer towards inward-looking policy structures, which complicates policy-negotiation.
