I also think that rabid identity politics have had a radicalising effect on most people in both directions whether they like it or not. And that has made the ideological bent of mainstream media all the more visible, bringing people to the realisation that the MSM speaks neither to them nor for them, and this has created a wonderful opportunity.
Something interesting about the SA media market: wokeness doesn't really work. The audience isn't there for it, but the producers of it are, and they resent this basic fact.
The Afrikaans consumer is on average pretty conservative. The English consumer is liberal in the traditional sense of the word, but not woke. The average upmarket majority background South African likes traditional language or English publications (or Ukhozi FM for radio), but has little need for woke content.
This state of affairs is enormously unique in the Anglosphere. Just about everywhere else has an overeducated urban precariat with the interest in the status gains that woke content can give them, or genuine interest in it. So I think its interesting and likely that alternative media in South Africa can make a real run at things. 702 and News24 quite transparently hate their audience for the most part. The Daily Maverick, no idea how they stay around. Rapport seems to have figured things out, but the Afrikaans market in general seems like a bizarrely loyal one (the language's status plays into this).
Spot on!
I also think that rabid identity politics have had a radicalising effect on most people in both directions whether they like it or not. And that has made the ideological bent of mainstream media all the more visible, bringing people to the realisation that the MSM speaks neither to them nor for them, and this has created a wonderful opportunity.
Great ....reading gives me a head ache I am happy to listen and hear what is being said.
Something interesting about the SA media market: wokeness doesn't really work. The audience isn't there for it, but the producers of it are, and they resent this basic fact.
The Afrikaans consumer is on average pretty conservative. The English consumer is liberal in the traditional sense of the word, but not woke. The average upmarket majority background South African likes traditional language or English publications (or Ukhozi FM for radio), but has little need for woke content.
This state of affairs is enormously unique in the Anglosphere. Just about everywhere else has an overeducated urban precariat with the interest in the status gains that woke content can give them, or genuine interest in it. So I think its interesting and likely that alternative media in South Africa can make a real run at things. 702 and News24 quite transparently hate their audience for the most part. The Daily Maverick, no idea how they stay around. Rapport seems to have figured things out, but the Afrikaans market in general seems like a bizarrely loyal one (the language's status plays into this).
This is a spot on analysis Pay. Fully agree with every sentence.