, COM3716
ASSIGNMENT 3
(PORTFOLIO) 2026
DUE 27 OCTOBER 2026
Introduction
The media industry is undergoing a period of profound and accelerating transformation, driven by
digital technologies that have reshaped how news is produced, distributed, and consumed. This
portfolio examines the multifaceted challenges and opportunities confronting contemporary media,
with a particular focus on the South African context. The central argument advanced throughout is
that while technological transformation offers significant opportunities for media organisations to
reach wider audiences, diversify revenue streams, and tell authentic local stories, these benefits
are unevenly distributed and frequently undermined by structural inequalities, ethical lapses, and
the proliferation of disinformation. Section 1.2 explores the technological transformation of the
media industry, using City Press as a selected print media case study to illustrate the pressures
facing traditional newspapers and the survival strategies they adopt. The analysis highlights how
digital technology creates both opportunities and existential threats, while the discussion of the
digital divide demonstrates that access to digital media remains starkly unequal along
socio-economic and geographic lines (Ampofo, 2020). Section 1.3 presents an alternative approach,
comprising a letter to a community radio station and an application of Fuchs' five characteristics of
alternative media, which collectively argue that participatory, community-driven media offers a
counterweight to corporate consolidation and homogenisation (Fuchs, 2010). Section 1.4 addresses
globalisation and its implications for African media, examining how global platforms both
marginalise local culture and provide opportunities for African narratives to reach international
audiences, while persistent stereotypical representations of the continent continue to distort
global perceptions (Nothias, 2012).
The portfolio then turns to the dangers of fake news in the digital age and the critical importance of
media ethics. Section 1.5 analyses the main tactics of disinformation, the role of Africa Check in
promoting media literacy, a recent example of fake news, and the particular threat disinformation
poses to electoral integrity and democratic processes across Africa (Ogola, 2025). Section 1.6
examines media ethics through a selected newspaper article, applying the Press Code of South
Africa to assess the article's ethical implications and identifying the circumstances under which it
would fail to adhere to professional standards (Press Council, 2020). The portfolio concludes that
responsible, ethical, and inclusive journalism is not merely desirable but essential to sustaining
democratic accountability and public trust. Ultimately, this portfolio demonstrates that the future
of media in Africa depends on a delicate balance between embracing technological innovation and
safeguarding the ethical principles, cultural diversity, and democratic values that underpin a
ASSIGNMENT 3
(PORTFOLIO) 2026
DUE 27 OCTOBER 2026
Introduction
The media industry is undergoing a period of profound and accelerating transformation, driven by
digital technologies that have reshaped how news is produced, distributed, and consumed. This
portfolio examines the multifaceted challenges and opportunities confronting contemporary media,
with a particular focus on the South African context. The central argument advanced throughout is
that while technological transformation offers significant opportunities for media organisations to
reach wider audiences, diversify revenue streams, and tell authentic local stories, these benefits
are unevenly distributed and frequently undermined by structural inequalities, ethical lapses, and
the proliferation of disinformation. Section 1.2 explores the technological transformation of the
media industry, using City Press as a selected print media case study to illustrate the pressures
facing traditional newspapers and the survival strategies they adopt. The analysis highlights how
digital technology creates both opportunities and existential threats, while the discussion of the
digital divide demonstrates that access to digital media remains starkly unequal along
socio-economic and geographic lines (Ampofo, 2020). Section 1.3 presents an alternative approach,
comprising a letter to a community radio station and an application of Fuchs' five characteristics of
alternative media, which collectively argue that participatory, community-driven media offers a
counterweight to corporate consolidation and homogenisation (Fuchs, 2010). Section 1.4 addresses
globalisation and its implications for African media, examining how global platforms both
marginalise local culture and provide opportunities for African narratives to reach international
audiences, while persistent stereotypical representations of the continent continue to distort
global perceptions (Nothias, 2012).
The portfolio then turns to the dangers of fake news in the digital age and the critical importance of
media ethics. Section 1.5 analyses the main tactics of disinformation, the role of Africa Check in
promoting media literacy, a recent example of fake news, and the particular threat disinformation
poses to electoral integrity and democratic processes across Africa (Ogola, 2025). Section 1.6
examines media ethics through a selected newspaper article, applying the Press Code of South
Africa to assess the article's ethical implications and identifying the circumstances under which it
would fail to adhere to professional standards (Press Council, 2020). The portfolio concludes that
responsible, ethical, and inclusive journalism is not merely desirable but essential to sustaining
democratic accountability and public trust. Ultimately, this portfolio demonstrates that the future
of media in Africa depends on a delicate balance between embracing technological innovation and
safeguarding the ethical principles, cultural diversity, and democratic values that underpin a
