Blogging The F-Bomb

Yolandé Botha

Feminism is not dead, it's cyber. With a Guardian estimate putting the number of feminist blogs at 240 000, it is clear that blogging has become essential to feminist communication. Although feminist blogs are able to illicit debate, can they lead to activism which can alter public policy?

“Blogging is my activism – it provides us with a platform to comment, analyse and influence,” says Jessica Valenti, founder of Feministing. The apathy of our generation has resulted in blogging and activism becoming intertwined. Blogging enables us to create awareness without having to take direct action.

The blogosphere also unites feminists resulting in more cohesive orgainised demonstrations. Blogs such as Charliegrrrl have been successful in campaigning for legislative change. Charliegrrrl readers were instrumental in lobbying MPs to have pornographic magazines moved to the top shelf of British newsstands showing that blogs are capable of influencing social change.

Many women around the globe do not have the luxury of web-access and this questions whether blogging is only serving the interest of privileged women. According to Georgia Aden, a post-graduate researcher who studies feminist blogs, women in less developed parts of the world are unable to voice their concerns through blogs. This is counterbalanced to an extent by the large number of feminist blogs such as Broadsheet which are dedicated to highlighting global women's issues.

Ultimately, the online feminism has empowered feminists to create a new anthology of literature which seeks to create the necessary awareness which galvanizes action. Cyber feminism has inspired a fresh generation of women to know that we can influence change – and we can do it in stilettos.

The Flight of Falcon

By Isabelle Anne Abraham

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

No it’s just a HOAX!

October 15th: the world wasted two hours of its time following the story of a young boy who was spotted embarking a balloon, which floated away. The helium balloon, untethered in Fort Collins, was monitored as it soared through the skies. Eventually it landed, to everyone’s dismay, without Falcon Heene.

Fears escalated that he had fallen, while others regarded this as a publicity stunt by the Heene family, who had starred in episodes of the program Swapping Wives. Prayers, criticism and scepticism spread across the Internet. Then, after authorities spent a significant amount of time and money searching for the child, he was found. He had been hiding in the garage attic the whole time, afraid of punishment for releasing the balloon.

E! Online reported the event in typical tabloid fashion. Unlike other reports, theirs consisted almost entirely of quotes by celebrities. They relied on outsiders’ opinions of the incident. Mail&Guardian online took a sceptical view of the episode. They focused on the fact that later Falcon said that he did this for a show. TheDenverChannel had perhaps the most comprehensive account of the situation. Their coverage was mostly objective. They estimated how much the authorities spent, they explained why the child was not at school and they described the events in sequence.

So now the question remains, was this simply a naughty boy’s attempt at adventure? Or was it an attention-grabbing scheme plotted by fame-hungry parents?

Zuma's Presinetial Cold-line

How accessible is the president really now? Well ask him yourself. Just call him up on his Presidential hotline. That’s if you can get through.

Political commentarians have been making commentary about this government service and its inadequacy. Like Zapiros Madam & Eve cartoons. Zapiro has released a series if cartoons that comments on the President’s new toll-free hotline. In particular, Zapiro has been commenting on the poor delivery of this service. One cartoon in particular comments on how the call-in staff is inadequately trained.

But Zapiro isn’t the only talking head that is loud and unproud in their commentary of Zuma’s presidential hotline. The DA has been quite vocal about their attempts to get through to this hotline and there lack of success. This initiative is a good one in that it has curbed the notion that the government is inaccessible but that it is a mission to get hold get through on the hotline, claim the DA. Apparently Zuma claimed to be directly accessible through this hotline, now it would seem he isn’t.

This presidential hotline seems top have only created another bulls-eye for Zuma’s commentarians to focus their crosshairs on. And rightly so. It would seem this hotline is a ploy Zuma has endeavoured upon in order to win some favour. If that is so, he has failed – for personally President Zuma has no favour with me. He still has a lot to prove. And he can call me up on that one.

Another Zunami case

by Lunga Khuzwayo

South Africa never fails to produce front page news coverage. With the scandal in politics, newspapers are never out of business. The most recent ‘melodramatic’ story is about the Agliotti and Selebi saga. There have been continues follow-ups to this story, revealing the corruption in the police force. Jackie Selebi, the former national commissioner of the South African Police Service, faces charges of corruption due to having alleged associations with Glen Agliotti, a convicted drug lord. The rug is pulled from the official’s a feet and this brings about awareness of the extent of corruption that exists in our beloved country. A change is needed in the political system to smoke out all the rats with deep pockets and short hands. We are biting our nails and holding our breaths. Those we thought we could trust to protect us and enforce the law, are wearing masks of heroes. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope with our current president, Jacob Zuma. Though scepticism about his performance in presidency has been made, it seems he has done well to prove us wrong so far. Recent news speaks of Zuma’s action against poor service delivery. Recognising the negligence of the municipality to deliver, Zuma has taken the initiative to make a change. It rare for a politician to reach out to the common citizen, however, Zuma is reaching down from his high horse and is directly approaching the social ills that exist.

Zimbabwean students cut off scholarships for joining the MDC.

Sphamandla Dlakwe

Hundreds and hundreds of zimbabwean students funded by the Zimbabwean scholarship programme at the university of fort hare have been cut off the scholarship programme for supporting the MDC. The students who came here with the hope of getting better futures and make something out of their lives are left hopeless, futurless and devastated after they have been stripped off the programme and left as what they call ''hopeless victims''

Zimbwabwe as one of Africa's poorest and developing countries, i believe that it was smart of president Mugabe and his presidency for putting such a positive cause aimed at helping Underprivileged students get a better life through the means of education, putting into account and acknowledging that education is the key to success, its a stepping stone to a brighter future, a key that can possibly open many doors and indeed a bright lamp that gives us guidance throughout our life journey.

I am failing to understand why the students have to be victims of political prejudice for only choosing to join and or campaign for Mugabe's opposition party, where is the freedon of choice, is there any hope that Zimbabwe will be a better place for each and everyone of its citizens, provide for and assist the poorest of the poor? yes there is according to the students, that is the exact reason why people specifically the students in this scenario, believe that tsvangaria is their only hope who can bring change to the country. Will stripping students off scholarships help the country develop in any way? No it will only help Mugabe and his ego, what about the people, didn't they elect him to work for them? Yes did.

Stoping the education from progressing will only lead to the country's failiure not success. i think its time people stand up for themselves and other presidents and political leaders intervening in Zimbabwe's crisis.

Sources
1. http//allafrica.com
2. http//www.zimdiaspora.com
3. http//www.dispatch.co.za

No Home, No Equality, No Press Coverage...No Democracy

Yolandé Botha

The week of the 28th of September proved to be one of distress for Kennedy Road residents who are members of the non-profit shack-dwellers organisation Abahlali Basemjondolo. Two people were left dead and scores of others uprooted after their shacks were burnt down.

Although the mainstream print media failed to give the Kennedy Road events due coverage, the online news media offered a few interesting perspectives. The feature surrounding the events by Politicsweb linked the attacks on Abahlali with other national concerns such as Moe Shaik's appointment as the director of Secret Services. This approach to news coverage is helpful seeing as it allows us to see how certain events are symptomatic of larger ills within government structures.

The Witness' report on the events were also insightful. The report was written in a soft news style. It included the personal experiences of real people. Another interesting aspect was the way in which the reporter immersed himself in the situation, resulting in a report which felt like a journey through the turmoil.

A typical hard news approach was taken by The Sowetan. They relied primarily on government sources and they used words with strong emotive quality such as “rejected” in relation the Abahlali Basemjondolo. This style of reporting does not lend the necessary level of humanity that is needed when dealing with a story that affects people's lives as directly as this.

It can thus be seen that various different reporting perspectives were taken in approach to the same event. Personally, I feel that this story is best suited to a intimate and emotive approach which portrays the true intensity of the situation.

Tutorial Tidbits

Yolande Botha

Our Tuesday tutorial taught me a number of things about who I am in relation to the people that surround me. The circle which we had to complete with the names of people that we associate with in a hierarchical manner, enlightened me to a lot of things that I value in others and the kind of people that I choose to associate with. In the first position outside of the circle with my name in, I put in the name of my best friend. Although she studies in Stellenbosch and I only get to see her physically a few times per year, the geographical distance between us does not mean that our emotional connection has dimmed. I still feel close to my best friend because we share similar values such as compassion and dedication. The fact that I was unaware of the daily routines of a lot of the people who I included in my circle, made me realise that it is not the mundane events that have created my bonds with people. Beyond that it also showed me that when I do have the opportunity to spend time with the truly special people in my life, I like that time to transcend the boundaries of the our ordinary daily lives. Finally, the tutorial also made me aware of the similarities between the writing of analogies and headlines. Both require the use of striking language that will conjure up a vivid image of the event that took place in the mind of the reader.