Stage 3: Selection of time frame
4.4 STYLES OF REPORTING ON THE CONSUMPTION OF NYAOPE
4.4.1 Choice of language
The choice of language is discussed in relation to sensationalism, sensitivity and discriminatory language of news reports on the consumption of nyaope. Choice of language used in the news reports formed a critical component of the reportage in comparing the styles of reporting in the tabloid newspapers.
• Sensationalism
The South African Press Council Code states that news should be presented in context without distortion, avoiding discriminatory or denigrating references to people’s race, colour, ethnicity, et cetera. During the period of this investigation, all of
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the fifty three (n-53) news reports on the consumption of nyaope on the sensationalism theme were presented in both the Daily Sun and Sowetan newspapers. The study noted that the news reports’ intention in both newspapers was presumably to amuse, attract and startle the readers. The stories were personified into a lay person speaking manner through the use of words such as
“gogo”, “moered”, “junkies” and “fire ate” et cetera. Furthermore, the news reports over-emphasised the news events and used emotional language, which normally tends to complicate what is supposed to be a precise story.
An example of such sensationalist news story was noted in the Daily Sun’s “I sell sex for nyaope” with the lead “I won't hide it. I sleep with men to get money for nyaope.
That is the only way girls who smoke nyaope get money, it's by sleeping with men,"
said the teenage girl. The sensationalist aspect of the news report was observed by the use of emotional language in the reporting. Furthermore, the use of an image of the teenager wiping what appears to be “tears” is also clear testimony of how the tabloids’ sensationalistic style was applied. Another example was observed in the Sowetan’s publication of 10 February 2015 entitled “No place to seek help and drug abuse”. The story starts with a lead: “When a tearful teenager arrived on the doorstep of what used to be a community-run rehabilitation centre for nyaope addicts”. The teenager was described as “tearful”, which is an over-emphasis of the situation. The use of such emotional language is regarded as sensational.
The above scenario is in agreement with Sparks (2000)’s view that sensationalism simply put, is hype news that is played up to appeal to senses and not the intellect.
The use of sensationalism is to attract readers and increase sales. This is plausible for getting people to talk about the consumption of nyaope. Subsequently, the study notes that there were numerous sensational news reports presented in both the Daily Sun and the Sowetan newspapers about nyaope consumption.
• Use of insensitive language
Language is a critical component of tabloid journalism in determining how the press not only presents but also mainstreams particular issues in society. The study noted that news reports on consumption of nyaope were adequately problematised, with eight (n-8) news reports recorded in the Daily Sun and three (n-3) in the Sowetan in the six months coverage.
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In both cases there is evidence that the Sowetan and Daily Sun newspapers, demonstrated the use of insensitive language in their news reports. The use of such language was noted from a news report published in the Sowetan’s 23 June 2015 edition, which applied the use of words like “bitches and whores”. These were some of the offensive words reiterated by the nyaope addicts towards their family members whenever approached with regards to their outsized consumption of nyaope. The use of insensitive phrases such as “ancestors were punishing him” regarding an addict who died after his shack was burnt to ashes are incomprehensible. The news story was published in the Daily Sun’s 21 July 2015 titled “Fire ate my bad boy”. The neighbours stated that Sipho deserved death because he was the reason why numerous community members including his mother did not have peace. It is clear in the article that the addict was often disrespectful and would be extremely stubborn at times.
Another example was observed from the Daily Sun’s 07 February 2015 titled “I sell sex for nyaope”, which consisted use of insensitive language. In the news report the addict confesses that she engaged in transactional sex for nyaope and was often called by demeaning names such as “bitch” or “prostitute” by her costumers. The underage teenage girl said: “When I demand my money for sex, the guys call me a
“magosha” and cheap bitch. It really hurts”. The teenager said she had sex with men to maintain her nyaope smoking habit. Subsequently, the study noted that the coverage of was qualitatively not good because the reports must treat nyaope addicts’ with sensitivity.
• Discriminatory language
Data gathered on the above theme on the consumption of nyaope in both newspapers in the six months coverage indicate that two (n-2) news reports in the Sowetan included discriminatory reportage, whereas there were no discriminatory news reports noted in the Daily Sun newspaper. A news report from 29 July 2015 Sowetan’s edition titled “Nyaope addiction killed my HIV positive nephew”, it was unnecessary for the reporter to disclose the health status of the nyaope addict because he was deceased. This is contrary to the South African Press Code (SAPC 2007:11) Section 2.1, which state that “the press should avoid discriminatory references to people’s race, colour, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or
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preference, physical or mental disability or illness, or age.” In Section 2.2, it further states that, “the press should not refer to a person’s race, colour, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or preference, physical or mental illness in a prejudicial or pejorative context except where it is strictly relevant to the matter reported or adds significantly to readers’ understanding of that matter.”
Subsequently, the study noted that the Sowetan newspaper violated the South African Press Code (2007) Discriminatory Reference Act. This is reinforced in the SAPC (2007:1) which encourages all media practitioners to avoid discriminatory remarks to peoples’ illness, race, colour or age. More importantly for this study, news reports that contain discriminatory language have the potential to perpetuate and promote stereotypes about drug users, a tendency that may further marginalise them as people who need assistance from society.