1|Page
COM3712 POE MAY/JUNE 2026 (Answer Guide) – Due 3 June 2026
Communication Policy
VERIFIED AND CERTIFIED ANSWERS. WRITTEN IN REQUIRED FORMAT AND WITHIN
GIVEN GUIDELINES. IT IS GOOD TO USE AS A GUIDE AND FOR REFERENCE, NEVER
PLAGARIZE. Thank you and success in your academics.
UNISA, 2026
Contents
A Decolonial Policy Analysis of the BCCSA Free-to-Air Code of Conduct for Broadcasting
Services Licensees (2009): Examining Assumptions, Power Dynamics, and Audience-
Centredness in South African Broadcasting Regulation ...................................................... 2
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 2
2. MAIN POLICY ASSUMPTIONS............................................................................................. 3
2.1 Definition/Identification of the Policy Problem ...................................................................... 3
2.2 Knowledge Systems and Assumptions .................................................................................. 6
2.3 Values, Ideals, and Principles .................................................................................................... 9
3. POWER ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................12
3.1 Actors and Stakeholders Defining the Policy Problem ..................................................... 12
3.2 Main Beneficiaries of the Policy .............................................................................................. 15
4. AUDIENCE CONSIDERATIONS ..........................................................................................17
4.1 Identification of Audience(s) and Related Assumptions .................................................. 17
4.2 Inclusion of Audience Segments and Marginalised Communities ................................ 20
4.3 Integration of Alternative Understandings and Voices ..................................................... 23
5. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................26
LIST OF SOURCES CONSULTED ...........................................................................................28
,2|Page
A Decolonial Policy Analysis of the BCCSA Free-to-Air Code of Conduct for
Broadcasting Services Licensees (2009): Examining Assumptions, Power
Dynamics, and Audience-Centredness in South African Broadcasting Regulation
1. INTRODUCTION
Communication policy occupies a position of profound significance in shaping how
societies access, share, and engage with information. As the South African
communication landscape continues to evolve in response to technological change,
globalisation, and the enduring legacies of colonialism, the policies that govern this
sphere demand critical examination. This essay responds to the recognition that
communication policies are never neutral instruments; rather, they embody specific
assumptions about reality, privilege particular knowledge systems, reflect certain
values, and distribute power in ways that either reinforce or challenge existing
inequalities. Within the African context, and South Africa specifically, the urgent task of
decolonising communication policy has gained increasing scholarly attention,
demanding that we interrogate the extent to which current policies serve the needs of
African audiences or merely perpetuate what Grosfoguel (2007:219) terms the "colonial
power matrix" that outlived formal colonial administrations.
The importance of policy analysis within communication studies cannot be overstated.
As Napoli (2007:2) observes, policy determines the user's experience across virtually
every communication platform integral to modern life, from editorial guidelines
governing news content to licensing regulations determining which radio stations can
broadcast in which regions. Furthermore, as the policy environment remains in a
constant state of flux due to technological innovation and shifting societal needs, regular
analysis becomes essential to ensure that policies remain responsive, appropriate, and
equitable (Capano 2009). This essay embraces the premise that policy analysis is not
merely an academic exercise but constitutes "the art and craft of analysing public
problems that must be understood and solved" (Theletsane 2016:192), ultimately
advancing the public interest and social good.
This essay undertakes a detailed decolonial policy analysis of the Broadcasting
Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) Free-to-Air Code of Conduct for
, 3|Page
Broadcasting Services Licensees (2009). This policy document was selected for several
strategic reasons. First, as a code of conduct governing broadcasting content and
ethics, it directly addresses the communicative relationship between media producers
and audiences, making questions of audience representation, voice, and dignity
immediately relevant. Second, the BCCSA Code operates within a self-regulatory
framework established by the broadcasting industry itself, raising important questions
about power dynamics, stakeholder inclusion, and the extent to which audiences
genuinely participate in setting the ethical standards that govern media content. Third,
broadcasting remains one of the most accessible and influential media forms across
South Africa, reaching populations that digital platforms cannot, particularly in rural and
low-income communities (Lloyd et al. 2010:45). Analysis of this code therefore has
direct implications for the lived media experiences of millions of South Africans.
The essay is structured to address the critical questions that emerge from a decolonial
and audience-centred approach to policy analysis. Following this introduction, Section
Two examines the policy's main assumptions, including how it defines the problem it
aims to solve, which knowledge systems it recognises, and what values and ideals it
promotes, drawing primarily on Alasuutari and Qadir's (2014) framework of epistemic
governance and milton and Mano's (2022) concept of Afrokology. Section Three
undertakes a power analysis, identifying which actors have defined the policy problem,
whose knowledge counts most in determining policy content, and which stakeholders
stand to benefit, referencing milton and Mano (2022) and Reid (2017). Section Four
considers audience-related questions, exploring how the policy identifies its implied
audience, which audience segments are recognised or marginalised, and what
alternative understandings and voices are absent, drawing on Livingstone and Lunt
(2011), milton and Mano (2022), and Reid (2017). The conclusion synthesises the main
arguments and reflects on implications for decolonial policy reform.
2. MAIN POLICY ASSUMPTIONS
2.1 Definition/Identification of the Policy Problem
The BCCSA Free-to-Air Code of Conduct for Broadcasting Services Licensees (2009)
defines its central policy problem through a distinctive ontological lens that warrants
COM3712 POE MAY/JUNE 2026 (Answer Guide) – Due 3 June 2026
Communication Policy
VERIFIED AND CERTIFIED ANSWERS. WRITTEN IN REQUIRED FORMAT AND WITHIN
GIVEN GUIDELINES. IT IS GOOD TO USE AS A GUIDE AND FOR REFERENCE, NEVER
PLAGARIZE. Thank you and success in your academics.
UNISA, 2026
Contents
A Decolonial Policy Analysis of the BCCSA Free-to-Air Code of Conduct for Broadcasting
Services Licensees (2009): Examining Assumptions, Power Dynamics, and Audience-
Centredness in South African Broadcasting Regulation ...................................................... 2
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 2
2. MAIN POLICY ASSUMPTIONS............................................................................................. 3
2.1 Definition/Identification of the Policy Problem ...................................................................... 3
2.2 Knowledge Systems and Assumptions .................................................................................. 6
2.3 Values, Ideals, and Principles .................................................................................................... 9
3. POWER ANALYSIS .............................................................................................................12
3.1 Actors and Stakeholders Defining the Policy Problem ..................................................... 12
3.2 Main Beneficiaries of the Policy .............................................................................................. 15
4. AUDIENCE CONSIDERATIONS ..........................................................................................17
4.1 Identification of Audience(s) and Related Assumptions .................................................. 17
4.2 Inclusion of Audience Segments and Marginalised Communities ................................ 20
4.3 Integration of Alternative Understandings and Voices ..................................................... 23
5. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................26
LIST OF SOURCES CONSULTED ...........................................................................................28
,2|Page
A Decolonial Policy Analysis of the BCCSA Free-to-Air Code of Conduct for
Broadcasting Services Licensees (2009): Examining Assumptions, Power
Dynamics, and Audience-Centredness in South African Broadcasting Regulation
1. INTRODUCTION
Communication policy occupies a position of profound significance in shaping how
societies access, share, and engage with information. As the South African
communication landscape continues to evolve in response to technological change,
globalisation, and the enduring legacies of colonialism, the policies that govern this
sphere demand critical examination. This essay responds to the recognition that
communication policies are never neutral instruments; rather, they embody specific
assumptions about reality, privilege particular knowledge systems, reflect certain
values, and distribute power in ways that either reinforce or challenge existing
inequalities. Within the African context, and South Africa specifically, the urgent task of
decolonising communication policy has gained increasing scholarly attention,
demanding that we interrogate the extent to which current policies serve the needs of
African audiences or merely perpetuate what Grosfoguel (2007:219) terms the "colonial
power matrix" that outlived formal colonial administrations.
The importance of policy analysis within communication studies cannot be overstated.
As Napoli (2007:2) observes, policy determines the user's experience across virtually
every communication platform integral to modern life, from editorial guidelines
governing news content to licensing regulations determining which radio stations can
broadcast in which regions. Furthermore, as the policy environment remains in a
constant state of flux due to technological innovation and shifting societal needs, regular
analysis becomes essential to ensure that policies remain responsive, appropriate, and
equitable (Capano 2009). This essay embraces the premise that policy analysis is not
merely an academic exercise but constitutes "the art and craft of analysing public
problems that must be understood and solved" (Theletsane 2016:192), ultimately
advancing the public interest and social good.
This essay undertakes a detailed decolonial policy analysis of the Broadcasting
Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) Free-to-Air Code of Conduct for
, 3|Page
Broadcasting Services Licensees (2009). This policy document was selected for several
strategic reasons. First, as a code of conduct governing broadcasting content and
ethics, it directly addresses the communicative relationship between media producers
and audiences, making questions of audience representation, voice, and dignity
immediately relevant. Second, the BCCSA Code operates within a self-regulatory
framework established by the broadcasting industry itself, raising important questions
about power dynamics, stakeholder inclusion, and the extent to which audiences
genuinely participate in setting the ethical standards that govern media content. Third,
broadcasting remains one of the most accessible and influential media forms across
South Africa, reaching populations that digital platforms cannot, particularly in rural and
low-income communities (Lloyd et al. 2010:45). Analysis of this code therefore has
direct implications for the lived media experiences of millions of South Africans.
The essay is structured to address the critical questions that emerge from a decolonial
and audience-centred approach to policy analysis. Following this introduction, Section
Two examines the policy's main assumptions, including how it defines the problem it
aims to solve, which knowledge systems it recognises, and what values and ideals it
promotes, drawing primarily on Alasuutari and Qadir's (2014) framework of epistemic
governance and milton and Mano's (2022) concept of Afrokology. Section Three
undertakes a power analysis, identifying which actors have defined the policy problem,
whose knowledge counts most in determining policy content, and which stakeholders
stand to benefit, referencing milton and Mano (2022) and Reid (2017). Section Four
considers audience-related questions, exploring how the policy identifies its implied
audience, which audience segments are recognised or marginalised, and what
alternative understandings and voices are absent, drawing on Livingstone and Lunt
(2011), milton and Mano (2022), and Reid (2017). The conclusion synthesises the main
arguments and reflects on implications for decolonial policy reform.
2. MAIN POLICY ASSUMPTIONS
2.1 Definition/Identification of the Policy Problem
The BCCSA Free-to-Air Code of Conduct for Broadcasting Services Licensees (2009)
defines its central policy problem through a distinctive ontological lens that warrants
