A Tragic Event and how it made headlines and an impact on SA so quickly
Photo of the logo of the Uyinene Mrwtyana foundation created in her honor.
Welcome to this sixth blog post regarding the dissemination of news and the spread of a news story as well as subsequent facts because of how quickly a news story is able to travel due to digital distribution of information. This essay will be written whilst also making a references to the case study regarding the untimely 2019 rape and murder of the University of Cape Town (UCT) student Uyinene Mrwtyana. Though the actual event itself will not be the main point of focus.
“I am sorry that I warned you about other places but not the post office”
Case Study:
The Speed of the Dissemination of Information
“I am sorry that I warned you about other places but not the post office” - These are the words of Nomngwane Mrwetyana, mother of slain University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwtyana, as she delivered a moving tribute at her funeral. When the news of the disappearance of Uyinene first broke out in August 2019 social media and other news outlets were abuzz with constant updates on the developments in the incident. The information about the search for her and the eventual revelation that she had died spread very quickly. The topic of gender-based violence once again formed part of many conversations in the public sphere. Videos and social media threads went viral mourning the death of Uyinene at the hands of a now convicted post office employee.
Introduction
This will also be looking at several points which can be used in relation to the event. Firstly, the explaining of the evolution and disseminating of news to society through the introduction of the digital platform; second, critical analysis of the multiple digital platforms which make the distribution of information on a large scale possible; thirdly, critically discuss the digital means of news distribution and how the public uses these online platforms as a means for gathering and sharing information, as well as giving their own opinions on societal events; fourthly, with the case study being applied to all the above points, focus particularly on how social media platforms were used to spread information and comment on the events which unfolded.
The evolution of the disseminating of news to society through the introduction of the digital platform
Firstly, the evolution of the dissemination of news to society through the introduction of the digital platform will be explained. Sueres (2020) states that digital technologies evolution covers a large span of time and different aspects. Decades having passed since news broadcasting was developed and resulted now into the advent of internet. A time has once been when news was print newspapers sole property, but with each step and breakthrough has now been able to have major impacts on journalism itself. Whether it to be for the gathering, producing and/or disseminating; each technological advances has slowly transformed the journalism landscape. However, one news aspect has resisted change for many years. Throughout journalism’s development, news was generally distributed from producers to society’s passive consumers; So the three aspects of gathering, producing and/or disseminating news stories to society remained relatively the same within the monopole of a few, whilst being consumed by many. Developments and technological advances in TV, news etc. and through any other digital medium never could break out of this monopoly.
Analysis of the multiple digital platforms which make the distribution of information on a large scale possible
Secondly, the multiple digital platforms which make the distribution of information on a large scale possible will be critically analysed. De Reuver, Sørensen and Basole (2009) argues that digital platforms are transforming all industries on daily basis and slowly finding a way into the mainstream information systems (IS) literature. So therefore since so many digital platforms access information, they also help distribute it on a large scale. Digital platforms are therefore known for changing much phenomena over IS’s entire landscape. Digital platforms distribute information on a large scale and can support new, flexible means for inter-organisational relations through a large variety of distributed boundary resources which are known for facilitating any highly distributed, automated coordination of activities and other information.
Wilding, Fray, Molitorisz and McKewon (2018) shows there are some specific multiple digital platforms which are primarily responsible for information distribution on large scale. These are google and google news, Facebook and twitter. “Google tasks itself with the mission of ‘organising the world’s information’. It has become a crucial player in the news ecosystem globally, with significant influence on information being released and news production, distribution and consumption. Most obviously, its news aggregator, Google News, is particularly influential. However, Google has many other platforms and technologies that affect the production, distribution and consumption of news.” Other than that, in the digital platform era, journalism and news media have come under intense scrutiny because of digital platform’s advent with google in 1998, facebook in 2004, twitter in 2006, questioning the role and value of the news loom large. Digital platforms have been seen to have changed the news forever. Digital platforms roles in the consumption, distribution and production of news have altered news and information itself fundamentally; because of where once long ago news producers tended to be news distributors, are now in fact consumers and digital platforms have essentially taken on the role of being distributors of news. In many ways, news and audience’s relationships has become more complicated, since there are far-reaching impacts for the consumers of and producers of news, and also for digital platforms in distributing news (Wilding, Fray, Molitorisz and McKewon, 2018).
When this is all applied to the case of Uyinene Mrwetyana, one can very easily see that multiple digital platforms were used to make the distribution of information of her rape and death on a global scale possible. This information was distributed and shared across all digital platforms, including news platforms online, twitter, facebook, Instagram and other social media. Raborife (2019) states that because of the quick spread of the information, it caused outrage and allowed action to be take quicker because of how much information and pressure surrounding the events and speculation of it could be found online. “Police minister Bheki Cele said government needed to take a tougher approach towards perpetrators of gender based violence on Saturday in East London. Following the news of Mrwetyana's death, the nation was shaken and took to the streets to protest. Her death came after the bodies of a string of women were found throughout August, which is also Women's Month. Among them was professional boxing champion Leighandre "Baby Lee" Jegels…In his address to protesters on Thursday, Ramaphosa said: "We have heard the calls of the women of our country. The collective anger, fear and pain must strengthen our resolve to end all forms of violence perpetrated by men…All crimes against women and children should attract harsher sentences, a life sentence against men who perpetrate violence against women, must mean life," he declared.”
A discussion on the digital means of distribution of news and how the public uses these platforms as a means for gathering and sharing information, as well as giving their own opinions on societal events
Thirdly, a discussion will be given of the digital means of distribution of news and how the public uses these platforms as a means for gathering and sharing information, as well as giving their own opinions on societal events. Wilding, Fray, Molitorisz and McKewon (2018) has stated that the participatory journalism’s (where public gets involved and shares news) rise and so much ‘free’ online content being available and distributed has completely changed the news ecosystem from being a world of only limited information to one where there is completely too much, and often unprocessed information. The major dilemmas of amateur production from the public has therefore not been distribution and sharing of news but rather the organisation, rationalisation and systematising of news production. This can be stated about the digital means of news distribution and the public taking full advantage of them for gathering and sharing information as well as giving their own opinions on societal events; “First, sharing on social networks has become a major distribution mechanism for news stories ... [and] the second reason hinges on the first. Like all distribution mechanisms, social networks influence the content they distribute … The stories change and with them the tone and flavour of the news-making process. The audience has in many cases become a primary driver of what is reported, posted and published…[furthermore] That value is engagement. In fact, it denotes more than a value. It serves as a measure of success (of a story, whether hard or soft, text, video or audio; of a day; of an organisation), a guide by which to service and connect with journalism’s publics, and a way of using social media networks in the act of distribution. Sharing/engagement has created new newsroom practices and activities: comments, retweets, fans, friends, favourites and followers. The lines between social media, news media and social platform are increasingly blurring. ‘social media sites as varied as Reddit, LinkedIn, Medium and traditional news media platforms all use what they know about their communities to feed on their information needs’. a social media editor as a sharer has a ‘social circle takes on the role of news editor, deciding whether a story, video or other piece of content is important, interesting or entertaining enough to recommend’. Sharing on social networks has become a major distribution mechanism for news stories. Like all distribution mechanisms, social networks influence the content they distribute … The stories change and with them the tone and flavour of the news-making process. The audience has in many cases become a primary driver of what is reported, posted and published” (Wilding, Fray, Molitorisz and McKewon, 2018).
Newman (2011) also adds that when journalists do the same and give back to the community through becoming a broadcasting channel in their own right and they break news and retweet new information, they are able to highlight important stories or give an authentic voice (Newman, 2011).
This can also be applied to news media and events following Uyinene Mrwtyana’s rape and murder. Since Carlisle (2019) argues that the digital means of news distribution and how the public used these platforms as a means for gathering and sharing information, as well as giving their own opinions on societal events was very easily seen in the aftermath. A national public and social media outrage and protests against gender-based violence were triggered. It also unfortunately lead to various initiatives misusing Uyinene’s name and her family’s grief in order for fundraising, making personal cash, and garnering attention on something that wasn’t even about Uyinene. Crowd funding efforts, establishment of anti-gender-based violence NGOs, book, and several social media profiles were also opened for the public to raise awareness and share their opinions on information that has been gathered and distributed and shared on social media platforms. The ethical concerns were of course that Uyinene’s name was being misused and her grieving family too and this in itself unethical, misleading, insensitive and dishonest.
How are social media platforms used to spread information and comment on the events which unfolded regarding Uyinene Mrwtyana
Finally, explain how social media platforms were used to spread information and comment on the events which unfolded. Wilding, Fray, Molitorisz and McKewon (2018) have argued that digital platforms have had many important and significant impacts on news consumption. Public consumers today have been shown to have increasingly more access to their news via social media and faced with endless choices and convenience, most consumers have become accustomed to ‘free’ news. It can also be found that in numerous cases, consumers have become part of the distribution and production process which is responsible for information spreading and commenting on unfolding events. The public can now use digital platforms to create, share, react and comment on content (Wilding, Fray, Molitorisz and McKewon, 2018).
Newman (2011) shows that journalists are especially making use of twitter as it gains critical renown as being a tool for finding key sources, allowing media elites to share information, it also allows for wider distribution (because both newspapers and broadcasters use Twitter as a main source for picking up and the amplification of comments from the digital platform. Overall, it is also starting to look like showing snippets of information and news in social and digital networks are further responsible for stimulating more interest in news events and encouraging more exploration from the public through asking for comments on events (Newman, 2011).
Social media platforms were also specifically used to spread information and comment on the events which unfolded following the tragedy of Uyinene Mrwtyana. Dittrich (2019) states that women’s fear and alertness and unease following the tragic rape and murder were heightened because of how much it was shared on social media and how much information the public was made aware of. For example soon after the event, the South African Police Services had released a crime report for 2019 stating the more than 2,771 women murdered and the shocking more than 36,597 sexual offenses reported within that time frame. These facts and stories have sparked a national outcry but no global outrage though and that is shocking, because it seems so many have become disillusioned to violent crimes they hear and see on digital platforms. The #MeToo movement had a spread of influential media outlets which acknowledged and spread awareness of the femicide problem, but not of SA’s specifically. Though it can definitely be believed that if more people talk about the issue, post their stories on digital and social media, and urge others people across the globe to look into what is happening in SA; then awareness will definitely be catalyst for change on an international basis too, which might actually help make a difference.
Conclusion
Uyinene Mrwtyana’s case study was used to specifically look at the spreading of the news as well as subsequent facts, and how the news spread so quickly due to digital distribution of information; this tragic event was then applied to four points; firstly, an explanation regarding the evolution of the disseminating of news to society through the introduction of the digital platform; secondly, analysis of the multiple digital platforms which make the distribution of information on a large scale possible; thirdly, critically discuss the digital means of news distribution and how the public uses these online platforms as a means for gathering and sharing information, as well as giving their own opinions on societal events; and finally, how social media platforms were used to spread information and comment on the events which unfolded were explained with both the resulting positive(national outcry) and negative (lack of acknowledgment from international #MeToo Movement) effects and results.