CBC Archives

Discuss with students whether they regularly watch news broadcasts of major national and/or international events on television. Ask them what networks they usually watch, and what they think are the main strengths and/or weaknesses of such broadcasts in terms of informing the viewer about current events. Discuss whether they think the broadcasts are presented from a general point of view and what it is. Display the front page of two daily newspapers and point out the elements that each one uses to showcase its viewpoint, (for example, words, photos, placement on page, placement in newspaper) and how those elements are used.

Have students research to find news reports that were prepared during the apartheid era in South Africa. Have them predict what points of view each news report might have, and why, and then examine the reports to check.

Direct students to the topic Canada and the Fight Against Apartheid on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. They may browse the site for as much time as required to gather information about one event of importance during the era of apartheid in South Africa. Students will use the information they gather to create a front page for two newspapers with different viewpoints. Students might choose from the following list of events:

the birth of apartheid, 1948 to the early 1950s

the Sharpeville massacre, 1960

South Africa is declared a republic, 1961

the meeting in Toronto of anti-apartheid activists, 1961

South Africa is expelled from the Commonwealth, 1961

the debate over South African participation in international sports events, 1970s-'80s

South African ambassador Glen Babb’s visit to an aboriginal reserve, 1986

the debate over economic sanctions against South Africa, 1980s

the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, 1990

Nelson Mandela’s first visit to Canada, 1990

South Africa’s first multiracial election and the victory of the ANC, 1994

Have students make use of design, font, formatting, placement within the paper, photos, headlines, copy length, and content to influence the reader but still present the same basic information.

Have groups present their newspaper pages to the class and invite the class to explain the messages they get from each page and to what degree those messages conflict.

Once the presentations are complete, discuss with the class whether they think it is possible for facts to be presented without a point of view and how this influences what we consider history. Have them speculate about the influence of the media on people who are in a country with only one or two sources of information. Discuss the state control of media and education as a means of controlling information. Ask the students to consider the role of censorship and why it is common in some countries, and have them research whether or not there was censorship within South Africa during apartheid. Ask whether they think imposing illiteracy on a population is a form of censorship.

Invite them to write a short skit, poem, or song that expresses something they believe is important about a prominent South African individual or event that occurred during the time of apartheid.