Problematising race for journalists: Critical reflections on the South African Human Rights Commission Inquiry into media racism

Abstract

How journalists report race and racism was at the centre of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) Inquiry into racism in the media. A critical analysis of the conceptual assumptions in the Inquiry's Final Report, however, reveals serious limitations to the enterprise. In particular the flawed conceptualisations, plus the generalised character of the findings are of little help in assisting the momentum of eradicating racism in South African media, and for linking race transformation to issues of class, gender, sexual orientation and xenophobia. This article identifies the problems as race essentialism and a relativism about what constitutes racism. It argues instead that journalists need the concept of racialisation in order to change their reporting. The argument upholds the desired role of the South African media as one that contributes to a non-racial, as opposed to a multi-racial, society.

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Notes on contributors

Guy Berger

The research for this article was conducted during his Fulbright scholarship at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, USA. He is a council member of the South African National Editors Forum, and former editor of the alternative Cape Town weekly, South.