Challenging patriarchal scripts?: a gender analysis of South Africa's community print media

Abstract

There are an estimated 100 community print media titles in South Africa, none of which are regulated by the Press Ombudsman. Instead, as none are members of Print Media South Africa (PMSA), they fall under the auspices of the Films and Publications Act. Different ethnical standards, including those concerned with gender discrimination, apply therefore to the mainstream as opposed to the community print sector. What are the implications of this double standards? This article explores community print media's regulatory environment and reflects on what this means for the ways in which gender is understood are represented in the sector. It reflects on regulatory limitations even within the mainstream print media sector. It discusses a case study in which a feminist content analysis methodology is applied to two community print media titles.