South Africa has a long history of

alternative media Alternative media are media sources that differ from established or dominant types of media (such as mainstream media or mass media) in terms of their content, production, or distribution.Downing, John (2001). ''Radical Media''. Thousand Oaks, ...

. During the 1980s there was a host of community and grassroots newspapers that supplied content that ran counter to the prevailing attitudes of the times. In addition, a thriving small press and

underground press The terms underground press or clandestine press refer to periodicals and publications that are produced without official approval, illegally or against the wishes of a dominant (governmental, religious, or institutional) group. In specific rec ...

carried voices that would not have been heard in the mainstream, corporate media.

Pirate radio Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially ...

projects operated by Caset were the forerunners of the country's community radio and small pamphlets and

samizdat Samizdat (russian: самиздат, lit=self-publishing, links=no) was a form of dissident activity across the Eastern Bloc in which individuals reproduced censored and underground makeshift publications, often by hand, and passed the document ...

were included in the mix. The

advocacy journalism Advocacy journalism is a genre of journalism that adopts a non-objective viewpoint, usually for some social or political purpose. Some advocacy journalists reject that the traditional ideal of objectivity is possible or practical, in part due to ...

of early activist titles was in stark contrast to the complacency of the country's large media houses. While many of the

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...

titles associated with the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

struggle no longer exist, there has been a resurgence of alternative media and the small press after a period of decline, notable because large corporates absorbed many of the so-called "struggle" journalists and mopped up small publishing houses. These media projects involve

multi-media Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to traditio ...

as well as

electronic journalism Digital journalism, also known as netizen journalism or online journalism, is a contemporary form of journalism where editorial content is distributed via the Internet, as opposed to publishing via print or broadcast. What constitutes digital j ...

. However, there are some who criticise what they call a lack of real alternative media in South Africa.

Print media

1940s

Varsity (Cape Town) ''Varsity'' is the official student newspaper of the University of Cape Town (UCT). In 1942, the first edition of ''Varsity'' went to print. History The paper was founded as a result of the burgeoning cultural tensions on campus between Afrikaan ...

(1942–)

1980s

* Akal *

Die Suid-Afrikaan ''Die Suid-Afrikaan'' was a progressive Afrikaans-language monthly published in Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is ...

(1983–1996) * Grassroots (1980–1990) * Izwe * Kagenna (1989–1993) * New Era *

New Nation ''New Nation'' was a weekly newspaper published in the UK for the Black British community. Launched in 1996, the newspaper was Britain's Number 1-selling black newspaper. The paper was published every Monday. ''New Nation'' was initially la ...

(1980–1997) * South (1987–1994) *

Weekly Mail The ''Mail & Guardian'' is a South African weekly newspaper and website, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa. It focuses on political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, local arts, music and popular cultu ...

(1985–1993) *

Vrye Weekblad ''Vrye Weekblad'' was a groundbreaking progressive, anti-apartheid Afrikaans national weekly newspaper that was launched in November 1988 and forced to close in February 1994. The paper was driven into bankruptcy by the legal costs of defendin ...

(1988–1994) *

Vula ''Vula'' first appeared in Cape Town in December 1984. Distributed to beach bathers and the like, it quickly became one of the country's top, alternative publications, before disappearing sometime in 1987. Other SA Alternative Publications * ' ...

1990s

Chimurenga ''Chimurenga'' is a word in the Shona language. The Ndebele equivalent, though not as widely used since the majority of Zimbabweans are Shona speaking, is ''Umvukela'', meaning "revolutionary struggle" or uprising. In specific historical terms ...

2000

Since the end of Apartheid, there has been a dearth of alternative media in South Africa as most of it got incorporated into mainstream corporate media as well as government and political party organising. Some of South Africa's largest social movements and other activist organisations have an online presence of alternative blogs and activist websites. According to the social movements, the importance of these alternative media sites are that they provide a way for 'poor people to speak for themselves'. These include: *

Abahlali baseMjondolo Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM, , in English: "the residents of the shacks") is a socialist shack dwellers' movement in South Africa which organises land occupations, builds communes

, the shackdwellers movement has the following website: www.abahlali.org * The

Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign was a non-racial popular movement made up of poor and oppressed communities in Cape Town, South Africa.

in Cape Town * The

Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front The Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (ZACF, also known as ZabFront or simply as Zabalaza), formerly known as the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation (ZabFed), is a platformist–especifista anarchist political organisation in South ...

produces ''Zabalaza: A Journal of Southern African Revolutionary Anarchism'' as well as a newssheet called ''Zabalaza News''. * Khayelitsha Struggles * Mandela Park Backyarders * South African Civil Society Information Service * Amandla! Magazine
Skawara News

Radio

* Caset * Bush Radio *

Tuks FM Tuks FM is the radio station of the University of Pretoria and one of South Africa's community broadcasters. It was one of the first community broadcasters in South Africa to be given an FM licence. Previously renowned for its alternative rock ...

* UJ FM *Metro FM *Ukhozi FM *Umhlobo Wenene FM

Television and video

* CVET * MediaWorks Publishing * barefootWORKSHOPS * TV capetowntv.org

Access

CAP A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

Internet

South Africa Today South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

References

External links

Digital Imaging South Africa
Mass media in South Africa Alternative media