1.INTRODUCTION
This assignment will cover four themes/study units, namely media, language and
discourse, textual analysis: narrative and argument, media and democracy, and media
in society. In the media, language and discourse section, I will report on a service
delivery protest in my community as an intern news reporter for a local newspaper. The
report will discuss the discursive practice of journalism, the newsworthiness of the story,
the criteria for deciding news value, the interview subjects, the structure of the story,
and the process of publishing the story. The section on textual analysis: narrative and
argument will briefly discuss the contributions of Vladimir Propp to the field of narrative
analysis, focusing on two-character functions. Additionally, I will select a recent
television advertisement and identify and describe it, and then identify and explain two-
character functions in the advertisement with references.
QUESTION 2
MEDIA, LANGUAGE AND DISCOURSE:
2.1 The discursive practice of journalism involves the use of language to construct news
stories that reflect the values, beliefs, and interests of the media organization and its
audience. It includes the selection of sources, the framing of issues, and the use of
rhetorical devices to persuade readers or viewers of a particular interpretation of events
(Fairclough, 2003).
2.2 This story is newsworthy because it concerns a public issue that affects the
community, and it has the potential to generate conflict, controversy, or change. It is also
timely, relevant, and of interest to the newspaper's readership (Shoemaker & Reese,
2014).
2.3 The criteria for deciding news value include timeliness, proximity, prominence,
conflict, human interest, and novelty (Galtung & Ruge, 1965). In this case, the protest is
timely and proximate because it is happening in the community, and it involves conflict
and human interest because it affects the lives of the protesters and the delivery of
services.
, 2.4 I would interview the protesters, the service providers, and the local government
officials because they are the key actors involved in the story, and their perspectives
would provide different angles on the issue.
2.5 I would present the story in a pyramid structure with the most important information
at the top, followed by supporting details and background information. This structure
would enable readers to quickly understand the main points of the story and decide
whether to read on (Kovach & Rosenstiel, 2014).
2.6 Once the story is written, it would go through the editorial review process, which
involves fact-checking, copyediting, and layout. The editor would then decide where to
place the story in the newspaper, based on its relevance, importance, and available
space (Schudson, 1995).
2.7 The discursive practice of journalism reflects the dominant ideology of the society in
which it operates, which is often Eurocentric and individualistic (Sonderling, 2017a). To
approach the story from an Afrocentric perspective, I would prioritize the voices and
perspectives of the protesters and frame the issue in terms of collective rights, social
justice, and community empowerment. I would also use language and imagery that
resonates with the cultural values and experiences of the African community (Gumede,
2019).
QUESTION 3
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: NARRATIVE AND ARGUMENT:
3.1 Vladimir Propp made a significant contribution to the field of narrative analysis by
identifying 31 functions or roles that characters play in Russian folktales. Two character
functions that he identified were the villain and the donor. The villain is a character who
opposes the hero's quest and creates conflict, while the donor is a character who
provides the hero with a magical object or information that helps him or her overcome
obstacles (Propp, 1968).
3.2 Propp's six sequential stages of narrative include: (1) the initial situation, (2) the
disruption of the initial situation, (3) the quest, (4) the donor's magical assistance, (5) the
This assignment will cover four themes/study units, namely media, language and
discourse, textual analysis: narrative and argument, media and democracy, and media
in society. In the media, language and discourse section, I will report on a service
delivery protest in my community as an intern news reporter for a local newspaper. The
report will discuss the discursive practice of journalism, the newsworthiness of the story,
the criteria for deciding news value, the interview subjects, the structure of the story,
and the process of publishing the story. The section on textual analysis: narrative and
argument will briefly discuss the contributions of Vladimir Propp to the field of narrative
analysis, focusing on two-character functions. Additionally, I will select a recent
television advertisement and identify and describe it, and then identify and explain two-
character functions in the advertisement with references.
QUESTION 2
MEDIA, LANGUAGE AND DISCOURSE:
2.1 The discursive practice of journalism involves the use of language to construct news
stories that reflect the values, beliefs, and interests of the media organization and its
audience. It includes the selection of sources, the framing of issues, and the use of
rhetorical devices to persuade readers or viewers of a particular interpretation of events
(Fairclough, 2003).
2.2 This story is newsworthy because it concerns a public issue that affects the
community, and it has the potential to generate conflict, controversy, or change. It is also
timely, relevant, and of interest to the newspaper's readership (Shoemaker & Reese,
2014).
2.3 The criteria for deciding news value include timeliness, proximity, prominence,
conflict, human interest, and novelty (Galtung & Ruge, 1965). In this case, the protest is
timely and proximate because it is happening in the community, and it involves conflict
and human interest because it affects the lives of the protesters and the delivery of
services.
, 2.4 I would interview the protesters, the service providers, and the local government
officials because they are the key actors involved in the story, and their perspectives
would provide different angles on the issue.
2.5 I would present the story in a pyramid structure with the most important information
at the top, followed by supporting details and background information. This structure
would enable readers to quickly understand the main points of the story and decide
whether to read on (Kovach & Rosenstiel, 2014).
2.6 Once the story is written, it would go through the editorial review process, which
involves fact-checking, copyediting, and layout. The editor would then decide where to
place the story in the newspaper, based on its relevance, importance, and available
space (Schudson, 1995).
2.7 The discursive practice of journalism reflects the dominant ideology of the society in
which it operates, which is often Eurocentric and individualistic (Sonderling, 2017a). To
approach the story from an Afrocentric perspective, I would prioritize the voices and
perspectives of the protesters and frame the issue in terms of collective rights, social
justice, and community empowerment. I would also use language and imagery that
resonates with the cultural values and experiences of the African community (Gumede,
2019).
QUESTION 3
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: NARRATIVE AND ARGUMENT:
3.1 Vladimir Propp made a significant contribution to the field of narrative analysis by
identifying 31 functions or roles that characters play in Russian folktales. Two character
functions that he identified were the villain and the donor. The villain is a character who
opposes the hero's quest and creates conflict, while the donor is a character who
provides the hero with a magical object or information that helps him or her overcome
obstacles (Propp, 1968).
3.2 Propp's six sequential stages of narrative include: (1) the initial situation, (2) the
disruption of the initial situation, (3) the quest, (4) the donor's magical assistance, (5) the
