,COM3702 Assignment 3 PORTFILIO (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025 - DUE 2 June 2025; 100%
correct solutions and explanations.
1. Introduction
This COM3702 portfolio examination critically explores key
issues in media studies through five interrelated themes: media
and race, news representation, gender in media, media and
terrorism, and media markets. Each section draws on real-
world incidents to demonstrate how media both reflects and
shapes societal values, power relations, and discourse.
The discussion begins with an analysis of a racially charged
incident involving a Flysafair passenger, examining how race
and power dynamics are represented in the media. It then
investigates the implications of the United States’ withdrawal of
HIV/AIDS funding on South African public health, focusing on
how such global policy shifts are reported and framed in the
news. The third section critiques gender representations in
advertising, unpacking the persistence of stereotypical portrayals
of women and men. The fourth theme evaluates how terrorism is
reported in the media, particularly how social media platforms
are implicated in the spread or prevention of extremist
ideologies. The portfolio concludes by exploring media
ownership and market concentration in South Africa, analyzing
its effects on media diversity and democratic communication.
Each section is grounded in relevant media theories, as outlined
in the prescribed texts and academic sources, and supported by
credible news articles. The portfolio ultimately aims to foster a
deeper understanding of the media’s institutional functions and
, its broader role in shaping contemporary social, political, and
cultural life.
2.1 The term racism
Understanding of Racism (own words):
Racism refers to the belief that certain races are inherently
superior or inferior to others. It involves discrimination,
prejudice, and antagonism directed against individuals or groups
based on their racial or ethnic identity. Racism often manifests
in both overt actions—such as verbal abuse and physical
assault—and covert structural inequalities, like unequal
treatment in the workplace or access to resources. Racism is
deeply embedded in historical power imbalances and is used to
justify unequal societal hierarchies. In South Africa, racism has
deep roots in the legacy of apartheid and continues to appear in
both interpersonal and institutional forms.
Summary of the racial incident:
The racial incident selected is based on a report published by
TimesLIVE on 5 May 2024. The article is titled “SABC
employee Nobuntu Mkhize faces backlash after racial slur on
FlySafair flight.” According to the report, Nobuntu Mkhize, a
senior producer at the South African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC), was caught on camera during a FlySafair domestic
flight allegedly using racial slurs against white cabin crew
members. Witnesses stated that Mkhize became aggressive after
a seating disagreement and allegedly referred to the cabin staff
using derogatory racial language.
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025 - DUE 2 June 2025; 100%
correct solutions and explanations.
1. Introduction
This COM3702 portfolio examination critically explores key
issues in media studies through five interrelated themes: media
and race, news representation, gender in media, media and
terrorism, and media markets. Each section draws on real-
world incidents to demonstrate how media both reflects and
shapes societal values, power relations, and discourse.
The discussion begins with an analysis of a racially charged
incident involving a Flysafair passenger, examining how race
and power dynamics are represented in the media. It then
investigates the implications of the United States’ withdrawal of
HIV/AIDS funding on South African public health, focusing on
how such global policy shifts are reported and framed in the
news. The third section critiques gender representations in
advertising, unpacking the persistence of stereotypical portrayals
of women and men. The fourth theme evaluates how terrorism is
reported in the media, particularly how social media platforms
are implicated in the spread or prevention of extremist
ideologies. The portfolio concludes by exploring media
ownership and market concentration in South Africa, analyzing
its effects on media diversity and democratic communication.
Each section is grounded in relevant media theories, as outlined
in the prescribed texts and academic sources, and supported by
credible news articles. The portfolio ultimately aims to foster a
deeper understanding of the media’s institutional functions and
, its broader role in shaping contemporary social, political, and
cultural life.
2.1 The term racism
Understanding of Racism (own words):
Racism refers to the belief that certain races are inherently
superior or inferior to others. It involves discrimination,
prejudice, and antagonism directed against individuals or groups
based on their racial or ethnic identity. Racism often manifests
in both overt actions—such as verbal abuse and physical
assault—and covert structural inequalities, like unequal
treatment in the workplace or access to resources. Racism is
deeply embedded in historical power imbalances and is used to
justify unequal societal hierarchies. In South Africa, racism has
deep roots in the legacy of apartheid and continues to appear in
both interpersonal and institutional forms.
Summary of the racial incident:
The racial incident selected is based on a report published by
TimesLIVE on 5 May 2024. The article is titled “SABC
employee Nobuntu Mkhize faces backlash after racial slur on
FlySafair flight.” According to the report, Nobuntu Mkhize, a
senior producer at the South African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC), was caught on camera during a FlySafair domestic
flight allegedly using racial slurs against white cabin crew
members. Witnesses stated that Mkhize became aggressive after
a seating disagreement and allegedly referred to the cabin staff
using derogatory racial language.
