The Role of the News Agency in Development (Support) Communication: A Case Study of Lesotho

By Lebohang Lejakane (1997)
Published: No
Type of Product: Ph.D Thesis, University of Natal, Durban (CMS).
Supervisor: Ruth Teer-Tomaselli.
Copyright: University of Natal

ABSTRACT

National News agencies in Africa were established as part of the Organisation of African Unity's strategy to decolonize information disseminated within and outside the continent and actively promote generation and dissemination of information geared towards the promotion of' development related activities. As the main collectors and distributors of information at both national and international levels, national news agencies are strategically well placed to serve as the core of a country’s news gathering and distribution system. Their efficacy, however, is dependent on the kind of environment in which they operate. Some of the notable factors which impinge upon news agencies effectiveness are the level of their capacity in terms of manpower, equipment and the reach of their news gathering networks and also the extent to which they adopt participatory approaches to communication.

After many decades of corruption, mismanagement and autocratic rule, the current wave of democratisation in Africa appears to offer the media a real chance to pressurize those in power to practice accountable and democratic governance. The Lesotho News Agency (LENA) was started as a joint project between the Lesotho Government and UNESCO in 1985. It is the only news organisation with offices in all the districts of the Country. The study critically discusses LENA's role in development communication and locates the agency within the wider dimensions of the country’s overall development goals and strategies. The theoretical part deals with the introduction on national news agencies, the debates around the New World information and Communication Order (Chapter 1) and the definition of development (Chapter 2). Part II of the study focuses more on Lesotho and deals with underdevelopment and development issues (Chapter 3); development communication in Lesotho (Chapter 4); LENA and Lesotho’s media Landscape (Chapter 5); LENA, Women and Development (Chapter 8) and finally, a summary, conclusions and recommendations (Chapter 9).

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