“In our future you wouldn’t look twice”

By Rose Molefe

Eighteen years of democracy and all we are is a country who is obsessed with race. This is the first thing that came into my mind when I laid eyes on this controversial poster by Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO). The second was; do I have wait for the future to live in a society that does not drive racial concepts to the ground?

DASO is said to have caused a stir with their recent poster, portraying a portrait of a naked white African gentleman with arms around the waist of a black African lady (as displayed in the poster). The intimacy in the image suggests that the two are romantically involved and the strapline reads; “in our future you won’t look twice”. The issue at hand; of mixed race dating has been a topic since Yunus Valley filmed a documentary; The Glow of white Women, which focused on segregation of societal perceptions of beauty under Apartheid. When does the interest of inter-racial relationships end? How long will we shun the romantic relationships of people from different ethnicities?

In the Apartheid era, black African males would steal glances at white African females; this was done in fear of their inferiority complex in society. However, if we have overthrown apartheid and are living in a free democratic society where people are allowed to engage as humans in whichever way they please, why are we still carrying the nature of such a relationship as a taboo? This is not to say that DASO is imposing or suggesting that it is a taboo, but for the mere fact that it is a campaign, it shows that they feel it to still be a rising issue in our country.

I feel our country needs to move away from racial topics, as this perpetuates the segregation in society. And although the poster might have been an innocent display of reality, it’s an overrated reality, which does not solve the issue if all we do is focus on what the challenge is.

Social Media assistant to the Journalist

By Rose Molefe

The development of the social media is one that keeps escalating with new forms and types of technology appearing on the market daily. Prior to the development of media, people were completely reliant on face-to-face interaction. However due to the development of information, communication technology, there has been a revolution in the nature of how we relate and communicate with one another.

When we consider the world today, there is no way Journalists can rely on informing the public on the happenings of the world, through face-to-face interaction alone. It is imperative for journalists to consider the audience, that they are; heterogeneous in nature. How will information reach them, if it is not through social networks? It most likely will not. However social media is not beneficial to an audience alone, it holds great importance to journalists. In this century, we rely on the internet as the sole provider for information, and journalists need to be thoroughly informed in order to be great informers.

My parents used to share stories of how they had access to information and how limiting it was, because of the limited access to technology, television sets, radios and newspapers were shared with neighbours. They did not have access to information, but were able to have access to the little bit that was broadcast and print media. With the help of social media, our generation is exposed to a greater load of information as opposed to what they were. However, this has both negative and positive connotations. As we know being exposed to social networks becomes addictive and leads to anti-social tendencies, with the more positive aspects being; to remain updated with the happenings of the world.

As an aspiring journalist, I have a twitter, Flickr and Facebook account. This includes the particular phone I use, which is a blackberry, this device has an instant messaging application which provides me with the ability to have news and emails and notifications from the accounts I have instantly sent to my phone. It also allows for people to be able to reach me whenever they need to. Social media is not only useful for keeping informed and being update, but it also opens one up to how to be a better journalist. The more one acquires the more they know, and if one opens up to more of what is out there, they will most likely learn the do’s and don’ts of the media world.

'Secrecy' Bill, a threat to Rights?

By Rose Molefe

The proposed Protection of State Information has caused havoc in our country. As a result, it seems to be a possible threat to the two fundamental rights; freedom of expression and access to information. As these rights are the bedrock of the South African democratic society.

The purpose of the Bill of Rights is to ensure that the state is restrained from violating any fundamental rights of the individuals in society. It is true that citizens should be freely informed about political problems in order to participate effectively for the greater good of the democratic process. This then suggests that the limitation of information prohibits participation and results in inactive passive citizens. However, it can be argued that the media has become scandalous in their ways of informing the public; and claim the information to be of public interest. To a certain extent it is so, all media publications seem to be resulting to the tabloid format of telling stories. This may be because the public have become so much more interested in what is happening in the personal lives of politicians as opposed to how the lives of politicians affect the country at large.

The constitution states that individuals are free to express themselves, and to be creative while doing so. As an aspiring journalist it is due to me to inform the public in a way which is not mundane but is creative. How then will future journalists, inform the public creatively, if the access to information and freedom of expression are being infringed? It is understandable that all rights are not absolute, and that to a certain extent they have limits. However, these two rights are not bound to suspension but limitation and if the state intends on implementing the secrecy bill, they should be certain not to infringe of the rights of the public.

If there is an infringement the public will be sure to cause a revolution against the ‘Secrecy’ Bill.

Like sand through the hour glass

by Rose Molefe

It's been a long time since we posted something on our blog. I guess we shouldn't have promised to "publish posts" often, because know we just jinxed our words.

How amazing it is, that time just slipped through our hands and all that is left is a memory of our good, rather random times spent together. Ben: always saying something stupid and sex related, Cara: thinking out of the box, Dudu: agreeing with the rest of us, Candice: rosey cheeks and throwing in a smart line and Me: keeping us sane.

I trust Journalism II is treating some of you guys well, regardless of how monotonous Sim and Alette sound, you chose the career now bare with it. The Journ Dept. can be very manuipulative, so be careful, people tend to be self-driven, know who drives you're vehicle and you will be just fine. Look at me go on like I have graduated, oh what the heck.....someone has to be the mother in the bunch.

Love is all I have for you and may you all remain remebered.

With Peace, Love and Vegetables
Love Rose*