The stars in our eyes: representations of the Square Kilometre Array telescope in the South African

395 Pages·2015·6.28 MB·English

The stars in our eyes: representations of the Square Kilometre Array telescope in the
South African media.

by Michael Gastrow

Dissertation presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences, at the University of Stellenbosch

Supervisor: Prof. George Claassen

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Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za

Declaration

By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained
therein is my own original work, that I am the authorship owner thereof (unless to the extent
explicitly otherwise stated) and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it
for obtaining any qualification.

Signature:

Date: 10th October 2014

Copyright © 201(cid:24) Stellenbosch University of Stellenbosch
All rights reserved
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Abstract

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope is set to become the largest telescope on
Earth, and also the largest science project in Africa. This dissertation focuses on the manner
in which the SKA was represented in the South African media from September 2011 to
August 2012. This addresses gaps in the literature on science communication, particularly
with respect to science communication in an African context. By drawing on mass
communication theory and science communication theory, it models communication
processes and outputs using a conceptual framework based on the notion of the public sphere.
Empirically, the study is underpinned by key informant interviews and the analysis of news
media and social media content.

Systemically, the science communication of the SKA during this period was characterized by
a high level of alignment of incentives, strategies, and structures across the main actors in the
communication system. Main actors outside the media all aimed to position the SKA in the
public sphere in a manner that would grow public support. Primary gatekeeping functions
were positioned at the apex of the SKA organisation and public sector actors, but were more
devolved within universities. Gatekeeping in the media was primarily driven by news value,
as well as institutional culture and organisational attributes. Relationships between scientists
and journalists were found to be generally positive and trust-based. The most significant
source of information for journalists was the SKA itself, followed by public sector actors.
However, other actors were marginalized, particularly local stakeholders. The Afrikaans
language media played an important role, particularly among local communities, and
published about the SKA relatively more often. The social media represented the SKA in a
broadly similar manner to the news media, but the structure of communication outputs was
influenced by the distinct attributes of the social media, including the viral propagation of
messages and higher levels of agency by individual actors. However, there were indications
of substantial media integration, in that major South African media corporations were the
source of the majority of messages in both the news and social media.

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The tone of media outputs was largely neutral or positive, framing the SKA as a ‗good news
story‘. The overarching dominant frame for representing the SKA was the site allocation
process, in which South Africa and Australia competed in a bid to host the telescope for the
international SKA consortium. Science and technology aspects of the project constituted the
second most common framing, within which the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence was
the most commonly represented research question. Representations of technological aspects
of the SKA were generally shallow, with most articles mentioning only one aspect of the
project‘s technology.

The SKA was also constructed as a symbol, representing an instance of African scientific and
technological achievement, African participation in globalized science, and a refutation of
Afro-pessimism. The impact of the SKA on the public imagination, and the public sphere,
was thus clearly far wider and deeper than only its science and technology accomplishments
and contributions.

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Opsomming

Die vierkantkilometer-radioteleskoop SKA (―Square Kilometre Array‖) sal na verwagting die
grootste teleskoop op aarde en die grootste wetenskapprojek in Afrika wees. Hierdie
verhandeling konsentreer op hoe die SKA vanaf September 2011 tot Augustus 2012 in die
Suid-Afrikaanse media uitgebeeld is. Dit handel oor die leemtes in die literatuur oor
wetenskapkommunikasie, veral wat betref wetenskapkommunikasie in Afrikaverband. Deur
uit massa- en wetenskapkommunikasieteorie te put, modelleer die studie
kommunikasieprosesse en -uitsette met behulp van ‘n konseptuele raamwerk wat op die
gedagte van die openbare sfeer berus. Die navorsing word in die besonder onderstut deur
onderhoude met sleutelinformante en die ontleding van nuus- en sosiale media.

Die wetenskapkommunikasie oor die SKA gedurende hierdie tydperk was stelselmatig
gekenmerk deur ‘n hoë vlak van koördinasie tussen die aansporings, strategieë en strukture
van alle hoofrolspelers oor die kommunikasiestelsel heen. Al die hoofrolspelers buite die
media het die SKA op so ‘n manier in die openbare sfeer probeer uitbeeld dat dit openbare
steun sou werf. Primêre hekwagterfunksies is aan die voorste SKA-organisasie- en
openbaresektor-rolspelers toegewys, maar was verder afgewentel binne universiteite.
Hekwagterfunksies in die media is hoofsaaklik deur nuuswaarde sowel as institusionele
kultuur en organisatoriese kenmerke bepaal. Verhoudings tussen wetenskaplikes en
joernaliste was oënskynlik oor die algemeen positief en gegrond op vertroue. Die
beduidendste bron van inligting vir joernaliste was die SKA self, gevolg deur rolspelers in die
openbare sektor. Tog is ander rolspelers, bepaald plaaslike belanghebbendes,
gemarginaliseer. Die Afrikaanstalige media het veral onder plaaslike gemeenskappe ‘n
belangrike rol gespeel en het meer dikwels as ander oor die SKA berig. Die sosiale media het
die SKA merendeels op ‘n soortgelyke wyse as die nuusmedia hanteer, maar die struktuur
van kommunikasie-uitsette is beïnvloed deur die kenmerkende eienskappe van sosiale media
self, waaronder die virale verspreiding van boodskappe en hoër vlakke van vryewilsoptrede
(―agency‖) deur individuele rolspelers. Tog was daar aanduidings van beduidende media-
integrasie, in die sin dat groot Suid-Afrikaanse mediahuise die bron was van die meeste
boodskappe in sowel die nuus- as sosiale media.

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Die toon van media-uitsette was meestal neutraal of positief, en die SKA is as ‘n ‗goeienuus-
storie‘ aangebied. Die oorkoepelende en oorheersende raamwerk waarbinne die SKA
uitgebeeld is, was die terreintoewysingsproses, waarin Suid-Afrika en Australië meegeding
het om die gasheerland vir die teleskoop van die internasionale SKA-konsortium te wees. Die
wetenskaplike en tegnologiese aspekte van die projek was die tweede algemeenste
voorstellingsraamwerk, waarbinne die soektog na buiteaardse intelligensie die algemeenste
navorsingsvraag was. Voorstellings van tegnologiese aspekte van die SKA was oor die
algemeen oppervlakkig, en die meeste artikels het slegs een aspek van die tegnologie van die
projek genoem.

Die SKA is ook as ‘n simbool van wetenskaplike en tegnologiese vooruitgang in Afrika,
Afrika-deelname aan wêreldwetenskap, en ‘n weerlegging van Afro-pessimisme uitgebeeld.
Die impak van die SKA op die openbare verbeelding sowel as die openbare sfeer het dus
duidelik heelwat wyer en dieper gestrek as slegs die wetenskaplike en tegnologiese prestasies
en bydraes van die projek.

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Acknowledgements

A PhD is a team effort, and I would like to thank several individuals and organisations for
their support. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the following: First and foremost, to
Jerushah, who deserves a medal. To Dr Vijay Reddy, for providing institutional support from
the HSRC to fund some of the time required to complete the thesis, and for being a strategic
and intellectual mentor. To Prof. George Claassen, for being an excellent supervisor, for
always being available, and for steering this PhD through to completion. To the Oppenheimer
Memorial Trust for providing scholarship funding for the research. To my parents, for their
support, and for providing a study space where peace and quiet could be found. To Dr Glenda
Kruss for providing space for my project work at the HSRC to be aligned to my PhD work.
To my colleagues and friends for putting up with my alternating whining and esoteric
enthusiasm. To Rachel Pretorius for assisting with transcriptions. To all the research
participants from the SKA, from government departments and agencies, from the media, and
from universities – without your participation this research would not have been possible. To
Sarah Wild and Elsabé Brits for their pioneering reporting on the SKA and providing an
inspiration. To all the SKA scientists, engineers, and managers, for creating a science project
that can inspire a continent.

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Dedication

This work is dedicated to my family – Jerushah, Benjamin Diya, and Thomas Kiran.

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Contents

Declaration .............................................................................................................................................. ii
Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. iii
Opsomming ............................................................................................................................................. v
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... vii
Dedication ............................................................................................................................................ viii
List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... xvi
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................... xvii
List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................... xix
Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2: Theoretical context and conceptual framework .................................................................... 4
2.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 4
2.2. Mass communication theory ........................................................................................................ 6
2.2.1. Concepts of mass communication ........................................................................................ 6
2.2.2. Research paradigms and approaches .................................................................................. 10
2.2.3. Mass communication and the public sphere ....................................................................... 13
2.2.4. Four theories of the press and social responsibility theory ................................................ 15
2.2.5. Gatekeeping ........................................................................................................................ 16
2.3. Science communication and representations of science in the media ....................................... 19
2.3.1. Theoretical and empirical scope ......................................................................................... 19
2.3.2. Astronomy in the media ..................................................................................................... 26
2.3.3. The Public Understanding of Science and the heuristic of the public sphere .................... 27
2.4. Science and the media in an African context ............................................................................. 32
2.4.1. Problematising ‗science in Africa‘ ..................................................................................... 32
2.4.2. Astronomy in the South Africa public sphere .................................................................... 34
2.4.3. Representations of science in the African and South African contexts .............................. 36
2.6. Conceptual framework .............................................................................................................. 41
2.6.1. Foundation: mass communication studies .......................................................................... 42
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2.6.2. Core: science communication and representations of science in the media ....................... 45
2.6.3. Context: problematisation of ‗science in Africa‘ ............................................................... 46
2.6.4. Conceptual overview .......................................................................................................... 47
Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 50
3.1. Overview ................................................................................................................................... 50
3.2. Conceptual framework as a basis for a methodological framework .......................................... 53
3.3. Desktop research ........................................................................................................................ 55
3.4. Key informant interviews .......................................................................................................... 55
3.4.1. Survey questionnaire development .................................................................................... 55
3.4.2. Interviews ........................................................................................................................... 57
3.4.3. Sample ................................................................................................................................ 58
3.4.4. Qualitative analysis ............................................................................................................ 64
3.5. Media content analysis .............................................................................................................. 65
3.5.1. Media content database ...................................................................................................... 66
3.5.2. Coding ................................................................................................................................ 72
3.5.3. Media content analysis ....................................................................................................... 79
3.6. Concluding analysis: synthesis and modelling .......................................................................... 80
Chapter 4: The Square Kilometre Array in context .............................................................................. 82
4.1. The SKA in the public sphere: main actors and network structure ........................................... 82
4.2. Astronomy in South Africa ........................................................................................................ 82
4.3. The Square Kilometre Array ..................................................................................................... 83
4.4. The SKA in South Africa and African partner countries ........................................................... 87
4.5. Public sector actors .................................................................................................................... 90
4.6. Universities and research institutes ........................................................................................... 93
4.7. The Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) .............................................. 95
4.8. Private sector: astronomy organisations .................................................................................... 95
4.9. Private sector: firms ................................................................................................................... 95
Chapter 5: Science communication ....................................................................................................... 97
5.1. Introduction: science communication in the context of the SKA .............................................. 97
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