PART 2 Chapter 5 NEGOTIATING MEANING
5.5 CONCLUSION
particular, such as the stories on the former page three and the letters and answers included in the Antie Mona column, appears to be a main attraction for the respondents in this study – whether they are male or female. One retired male respondent indicated that he does not like the “growwe taalgebruik”,223 and another middle-aged male respondent agreed that the use of foul, crude or explicit language does not appeal to him. They were, however, in the minority.
One last aspect that readers mentioned is relevant to the discussion about presentation. The respondents specifcally mentioned the Son's extensive coverage and follow-up stories. This was also noted in the content analysis: court and high-profle cases especially are covered over several weeks, such as the Tik trio, Najwa Petersen and baby Jordan stories (see section 3.3.1.1). The readers seemingly appreciate the trouble the newspaper goes to in order to provide them with all the details of a story. A fruit seller indicated that this attracts him to the newspaper:
Respondent: Al die inligting. Dis nie ’n ding wat jy nou lees, nou moet jy... dis amper soos ’n leesboek, né?
Interviewer: Ja?
Respondent: Wat jy lees, né?
Interviewer: Ja?
Respondent: Nou eindig hy, nou moet jy wonder, huh? Het daai man en daai vrou nou getrou?
Interviewer: Ja?
Respondent: Het hulle gelukkig saamgebly?
Interviewer: Hulle sê...
Respondent: Of hoe het dit geëindig. Hulle vat hom straight deur.
[See addendum A, E26 for translation]
Other respondents too indicated that they follow stories, and for them these resemble a soap opera. The newspaper offers extensive coverage, providing them with all the details, looking at the story from all angles, and informing them about different aspects. This might be one of the reasons for readers claiming to be fully informed and knowing “all the news” after reading the Son. These stories may be neither long nor intricate, the language might be straightforward and easy to digest, but this does not imply that the tabloid fails to provide its readers with adequate and well-researched stories. On the contrary, the newspaper succeeds in providing readers with relevant stories, while penetrating the underlying issue, investigating events, and providing in- depth coverage (see sections 2.4.8 and 2.4.8.1).
This chapter has explored the ways in which readers negotiate meaning in terms of the Son's content and presentation. In order to provide the background to the analysis, the chapter frst focused on the readers and their environmental and social contexts, because these provide a background to exploring reader experiences and interpretations. An equal number of readers from both genders took part in the study, and the respondents are representative of all age groups.
No readers under 18 were approached because this presents ethical dilemmas. The data showed that almost none of the readers live alone: the respondents mostly live with large and extended families. While some of the respondents have obtained their matric certifcates, most of them have not completed high school, and they now work as waitresses, car guards, fower and fruit sellers, farm labourers, shop assistants and administrative workers. Most of them live with their extended families, which include siblings, parents, girlfriends, children, and in some cases grandparents, aunts and uncles. Few respondents live alone.
Their readings of the paper’s content suggest that they prefer strong local news stories – in particular stories about crime in their communities. The conversations suggest that while others might perceive the tabloid's content as irrelevant or merely entertaining, the respondents see the stories as relevant to their lives. The responses demonstrate that they place high value on being informed community members. The respondents indicated that the newspaper provides them with information they can apply to their own lives. Although readers enjoy Oom Sonnie's stories and Auntie Mona's advice, they appear to use these columns for the same reason: Oom Sonnie inspires them with his true-to-life stories about prisoners, and Auntie Mona gives apt advice that readers can use to solve their own everyday problems. Readers also pay attention to sport stories, in particular rugby. They are of the opinion that the sport coverage is of quality, the writers skilled and the updates adequate and useful. Regarding sexual content, the page-three girl was a particular favourite among male readers especially, while most of the female readers appear to be ambivalent towards this content. Although some of the men seemed embarrassed about enjoying this page, others enthusiastically discussed their attraction. Overall, the responses suggest that these girls were popular among the male readers, while female readers did not take particular issue with them. Those female respondents who had strong negative reactions, claimed that they did not mind girls in bikinis, but they found bare-breasted photographs offensive. Some readers indicated that the content is not suitable for their children. Readers had stronger reactions to the sexualised content in the Antie Mona column than they had to the half-naked page-three model.
Men who claimed to be uninterested in page three elaborated on their affnity for Antie Mona.
The content analysis, however, demonstrated that this column has a stronger and more explicit sexual focus. Hence, it would be fair to conclude that despite their apparently ambivalent attitude
towards page three, their enthusiasm for Antie Mona indicates that they enjoy content of a sexual nature. Regarding celebrity news, only a few readers indicated that they pay attention to this content, strengthening the argument that readers are more interested in information presented in an entertaining form, than in entertainment content.
Regarding the presentation of content, the readers agree that the newspaper's size is practical, its colours and photographs attractive, and the shorter stories adequate. Moreover, the use of language is also to the readers' taste and many of them indicated that they buy the newspaper for this reason. Overall, the responses suggest that readers fnd the content in the newspaper relevant and applicable to their lives and they appreciate the manner in which the newspaper presents this information to them. In particular, they mentioned the appeal that the front page and the mode of address hold for them.
Based on the analysis in this chapter, the following conclusions are made. Firstly, the respondents wish to be abreast of local, national and international events that might impact on their lives.
Information that pertains to their lives is viewed as important, and this underscores the notion that readers ultimately decide which stories are important, relevant and serious. The list of serious topics includes crime, particularly reports on child abuse, corruption, rape, murder and gangsterism. Readers admitted, however, that they dislike politics. These crime stories do not appeal to the readers merely because of their sensational value, but because they refect the world in which these readers live. In this regard, the readers fnd something in the Son that other newspapers are unable to offer them. This suggests that these readers are active decoders and discriminating media users. This notion is strengthened by the claims that this group of readers rarely read political stories, although they regard them as “important” and “serious”. They admitted that they do not always fnd these stories relevant to their own lives. This suggests that although the newspaper succeeds in providing its readers with information they need to organise their lives and make decisions, it does not necessarily succeed in making political information relevant and engaging. Finally, this chapter has demonstrated that these readers do not use tabloid content to divert their attention; rather, they use it as a tool to navigate their social and familial relationships.
While this chapter has focused on the readers’ experiences and interpretations regarding the Son's content and presentation, the following chapter will focus on the readers' perceptions of quality newspapers, as well as how they evaluate news and newspapers. In this chapter, the newspaper's approach(es) to its audience will be explored.
PART 2 Chapter 6