Making media matter: on truth, dignity, and love

At a time when the media globally is experiencing a crisis of credibility, sustainability and relevance, what is the purpose of teaching and researching journalism and media studies? Amidst a global polycrisis of war and conflict, social polarisation, rampant disinformation and a climate emergency, how can the media contribute to a better life? In a country marked by persistent inequality, a fragile democracy and the legacies of injustice, what principles should guide the media to remain relevant, resilient, and responsive to society? Drawing on insights from journalism and cultural and media studies, this lecture considers how the research, teaching and practice of media can be approached as a public good – with the purpose of making media matter.

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Short biography

Herman Wasserman is professor of Journalism and chair of the Department of Journalism at Stellenbosch University. This is also his alma mater, where he obtained a doctorate in literature and a postgraduate degree in journalism. Wasserman worked as a newspaper reporter before embarking on an academic career. He previously taught at the universities of Sheffield and Newcastle in the United Kingdom, Rhodes University and the University of Cape Town, and has been a visiting professor at the universities of Munich (Germany), Indiana and Houston (United States), Utrecht and Groningen(Netherlands) and Tsinghua (China).

Wasserman has published widely on journalism ethics, media, conflict, and democracy and disinformation in Africa. He has produced 94 peer-reviewed articles, 56 book chapters and 17 books. His books include Tabloid Journalism in South Africa (Indiana University Press), Media, Geopolitics, and Power (University of Illinois Press) and Media, Conflict and Democracy in Africa (Oxford University Press). His latest publication is the co-edited volume Disinformation in the Global South. This book ties in well with his current role as principal investigator in a multinational study on information disorder in the Global South, undertaken with support from the Canadian International Development Research Center.

He is a fellow and board member of the International Communication Association and an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. In addition, he serves as an expert on the International Panel on the Information Environment, as well as on the scientific committee of Reporters Without Borders. As a consultant, his advice has benefited organisations such as UNESCO, the World Health Organization, Deutsche Welle Akademie, Digital Public Square, Africa Check, the Center for International Media Assistance, and Open AI.

Wasserman is editor-in-chief of African Journalism Studies and Annals of the International Communication Association, associate editor of International Communication Gazette, and also serves on the editorial boards of several other international journals.

His scholarly achievements have earned him a number of awards. These include a Fulbright fellowship, the Georg Forster Research Award (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation), the Neva Prize for Journalism Theory (St Petersburg State University) and the Stals Prize for Communication Science and Journalism (SA Akademie virWetenskap en Kuns). He also holds an A-rating from the National Research Foundation, which attests to his international leadership in his field and the quality and impact of his research outputs.