Abstract
M.A.
Political satire in the print news media is a significant part of irony that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics. Jonathan Shapiro (alias Zapiro), and his Lady Justice cartoons of Jacob Zuma, which were published in the Sunday Times on 7 September 2008 and in the Mail & Guardian on 12 September 2008, has brought this function to the foreground in South Africa. This study focuses on the ‘Jester’s Space’ in the print media in relation to The Lady Justice cartoons because of their controversial nature and the possible effects they had on the print news media agenda. The goal of the study was to examine the debates that ensued in select print news media in Gauteng between 24 August 2008 and 31 December 2008.
In order for the study to explore the role of the political cartoonist in the South African context, it considers the development of political cartooning globally and in South Africa. It draws on the Agenda-Setting theory. This theory postulates that the media audiences accept guidance from media for determining what information is most important and worthy of attention (Graber, 1984). This study makes use of qualitative and quantitative content analysis in order to analyse the Agenda-Setting function of the Lady Justice cartoons in selected Gauteng English and Afrikaans newspapers – chosen because they represent different media houses, which would ensure a range of editorial and public views. The study successfully shows that Zapiro’s cartoons were able both to frame and set the agenda for the debate themes that were discussed in the public sphere.