Question 1 – Learning Units 1 and 6 (Marks: 60)
“At present there exists a digital divide, an economic division between the people who have
access to new media and those who do not, and a skill division between those who are
comfortable with new media and those who are not”.
“The globalisation of communication is characterised by the following qualities: instantaneity,
interconnectedness, interdependence, and a trend toward corporate mergers and
conglomeration.”
(O’Shaughnessy, Stadler & Casey, 2016: 110, 413)
Using the above statements from your prescribed textbook as a starting point, write an essay
(approximately 1200 – 1500 words) in which you discuss the relationships that exist between
globalisation and the digital divide in South Africa today.
To support your essay argument, refer directly to:
examples of the positive and negative aspects of globalisation in South Africa today.
how these aspects influence the digital divide in South African society, either helping to
reduce it, or widening it further – and why.
Question 2 – Learning Units 2 and 5 (Marks: 60)
Covid‐19: Investing in Health Journalism is Critical
By Bibi‐Aisha Wadvalla and Mandi Smallhorne. 07 April 2020
In an article for The Media Online on 2 April 2020, editor Glenda Nevill wrote: “never has there
been such an urgent need for proper, fact‐checked reporting. With social networks adding an
element of pandemonium to the pandemic with the proliferation of fake news, trusted news
brands have never been more important in ensuring the public has the facts at hand.”
Three days later, one of News24’s journalists falsely reported that Bill Gates wants to test a
Covid‐19 vaccine in Africa. The story was based on a tweet by President Cyril Ramaphosa that
linked to an interview Trevor Noah conducted with Gates. Ramaphosa tweeted “The Gates
Foundation has supported our health needs for many years. They have offered assistance with
innovative mass‐based testing kits and research. I spoke to Bill Gates and he commended the
swift and decisive action South Africa has taken on Covid‐19.”
Both the tweet and actual interview made no mention of a vaccine. But few went to the source.
The mistake was taken as fact. There was righteous [public] anger at being the “West’s guinea
pig”, conspiracy theories about Gates, and hate‐filled invective directed at Gates, Ramaphosa
and Noah. By Sunday evening [05 April], News24 had removed the story, and issued an apology.
Adapted from: Wadvalla, B‐A. and Smallhorne, M. 2020. “Covid‐19: Investing in Health
Journalism is Critical” Daily Maverick, 07 April 2020. [Online]. Available at:
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020‐04‐07‐covid‐19‐investing‐in‐health‐journalism‐
is‐critical/ [Accessed 22 May 2020].
Using the above news article extract as a starting point, write an essay (approximately 1200 –
1500 words) in which you discuss the importance of research, objectivity and active audiences in
writing for the news media, particularly in relation to the Covid‐19 pandemic.
To support your essay argument, refer directly to:
the ethical importance of conducting thorough research and fact‐checking as part of a
journalism investigation.
the importance of maintaining an objective view when reporting the news.
the significance of active media audiences for news writing.
relevant examples of news writing related to the Covid‐19 pandemic.
Question 3 – Learning Units 3 and 4 (Marks: 60)
Write an essay (approximately 1200 – 1500 words) in which you conduct a detailed semiotic
analysis of the (full colour) advertisement over the page.
This advertisement was released in 2013 by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and
the Empowerment of Women as part of a global awareness campaign on women’s rights.
To support your essay argument, refer directly to:
the intended message and target audience of this advertisement.
the semiotic components in the advertisement that enhance its message – and why.
the ways in which an advertisement of this nature can be used in the media to sway
public opinion on gender equality by playing on gender stereotypes.
Source: UN Women. 2013. UN Women ad series reveals widespread sexism. [Online]. Available:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2013/10/women‐should‐ads [Accessed 22 May 2020].