Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Humanities, Psychology and Social Sciences
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Examining the Framing of the So-called ‘Reading/Literacy Crisis’ in Selected News Media, 2016 – 2021
Simphiwe Mpho Zondani
ABSTRACT:
Given the vast reach of mass media and the incredible potential for influence of news media, in particular, this research study examined the framing and coverage of the so- called reading crisis in selected South African media coverage between the years 2016 and 2021.Using a qualitative research approach with research methods such as content analysis, deductive framing analysis and discourse analysis, key literature was consulted on the concept of crisis and conceptions and frameworks concerning literacy – namely, institutional understandings of literacy at the multilateral level, as well as academic characterisation. This was set against a broader theoretical framework of media effect, framing and agenda-setting theories. From the deductive framing analysis, it was found that the headlines were predominantly negative in tone and prioritised prognostic framing. The prognostic frame type focuses on action to be taken rather than understanding the issue at hand. Using Ogbodo et al’s (2020) nine common frames – namely, human interest, economic consequences, morality, responsibility, politicisation, ethnicisation, fear and hope – it was discovered that only eight of these frames appear. And of these eight frames, the attribution of blame (responsibility), hope and human-interest frames were the most prevalent. Furthermore, it was discovered that, in their coverage of the issue, local news media functioned as a champion and advocate for literacy, representing the so-called crisis negatively by relying on discourses of crisis, victimisation, blame and consequence. In turn, the study discovered that many of the articles depicted literacy in a narrow manner. That is, much of the coverage does not acknowledge broader understandings of literacy, namely, socially embedded practices as well as oral or multimodal conceptions. Instead, much of the articles primarily focused on a reading and writing. Given this result, it can be said that the articles predominantly showcase a narrow conception of literacy rather than a more complex one.
keywords: South Africa; Reading Crisis; PIRLS; Framing; Mediatised Public Crisis