CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
5.2. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
5.2.1 Gender Oriented Programming
The literature review identified a number of important issues that highlight the need for CR and broadcasters in general to apply some level of sensitivity in their work.
These include international commitments such the Gender Protocol, Beijing Platform of Action and many other gender awareness apparatus. Yet, the facts as identified in the literature showed that CR faces different operational challenges that may hamper with progress in the programming. As observed by the researcher CR management or programming teams are not informed about where gender should feature in the news and programmes. It is still not clear to the decision makers at CR level on whether gender is a source of the news or a preoccupation of the news.
The observation from this study is that CR programming does not feature stand- alone gender oriented programmes. Typical programmes were identified in section (2.3). These are themed programmes which can be used to address varying gender issues such as Gender based Violence (GBV), HIV/AIDS education and awareness
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et cetera. While it was important to gain a better understanding of the management team’s view and understanding of gender, it was also equally important to observe if an element of what is considered gender (in their view) was featured as a programme or not. As a result, this study observed that the CRs under study do not feature any stand-alone programmes that were gender oriented in their programming schedule. However, the stations had programme features and related programme segment that discussed aspects of health, community services and other domestics’
issues which, in the view of the programming management teams were considered as gender issues. Programmes such as magazine shows aired between 09H00 am - 12H00 pm featured such content and much of it was attestable to gender based violence, health and social welfare, and had different expert views from both male and female contributors.
5.2.2 Programme Production Strategies
As to whether the programme production strategies were relevant when it comes to covering gender oriented stories, the findings are different across the three radio stations. Firstly, the literature review in section (2.4) identified different strategies such as diversifying sources in broadcasts, encouraging female experts to speak, training journalists and reporters to be sensitive in their work as well as working with different NGOs who are doing work with different groups in the community. Some of the above strategies would encourage active participation from different groups of people and therefore, encourage participatory programming for the radio. Secondly, the study made findings above (in section 5.1.1) that CR stations do not feature programmes specific on gender. As a result, the findings made in this section are not directly about gender, but observations made on issues dealing with strategies for broadcasting news and programmes on GBV, HIV/AIDS and other women empowerment issues.
The study found out that stations did not have a standardised or formal plan on engaging sources but had guidelines on fair coverage in their editorial policies. The stations had a dedicated list of sources that would comment on issues of gender mostly from civil society and community groups. Notwithstanding, Moutse community radio was found to have no applicable or known strategy used in the coverage of gender as neither a news beat, programme or programme feature was noted. The
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study concludes that the programming management teams across the radio stations are aware of the need to promote equality but were unable to fully comply.
5.2.3 Gender Specific Programmes
Furthermore, the study found out that in all the programmes that featured gender as a topic or gender related issue as an element of discussion, women were assigned to present such programmes. The three radio stations had the following programmes which featured gender topics:
Radio Turf FM: Are ikageng - aired between 09H00am to 12H00pm Moutse FM: Siyapheka Siyathulula- aired between 09H00am to 12H00pm Mohodi FM: Are yeng basadi - aired between - 09H00am to 12H00pm
There were no distinct features that the CRs adopted to ensure gender sensitivity except using a female presenter for the programme. The study further revealed (in section 4.2.6.3) that more male experts were used to express views on topical issues than female experts across all the radio stations.
5.2.4 Knowledge & Attitudes Towards Gender
The study attempted to establish what knowledge and attitudes the community media practitioners had in terms of gender. This aspect was key in the study. To this end, the study revealed that there was little knowledge across the three radio stations on gender and gender issues in the media. Most of the programme producers and presenters only understood gender as legal sex, meaning either male or female. The findings uncovered a lot of discrepancies relating to the ability of the producers to compile sound and relevant content and the ability to broadcast gender sensitive programmes. Furthermore, the study found out that some presenters and producers have received gender specific training and believed that the training was not sufficient to address gender disparities in the stations.
Moreover, the study discovered that most of the programme producers and presenters had a negative attitude toward gender and gender mainstreaming as a concept. The attitude survey showed that most male producers and presenters
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considered their female counterparts as more appreciative of the soft roles. The survey also revealed that female producers and presenters did not engage in technical production and would also not host midnight programmes for security reasons. Contrary to popular belief that male reporters are only associated with masculine traits, the survey further revealed that male producers and presenters did not have a problem reporting on issues of diversity such as HIV and AIDS or gender related issues.
5.3 THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS