COMMUNICATIONS AND THE BATTLE OF IDEAS

1 NATIONAL POLICY CONFERENCE | DISCUSSION DOCUMENTS. 5TH NATIONAL POLICY. CONFERENCE. 30TH JUNE 5TH JULY 2017. GALLAGHER CONVENTION CENTRE, MIDRAND. THE YEAR OF OLIVER REGINALD TAMBO: LET US DEEPEN UNITY! COMMUNICATIONS . AND THE BATTLE OF IDEAS . DISCUSSION DOCUMENT. 3. NATIONAL POLICY CONFERENCE | DISCUSSION DOCUMENTS. COMMUNICATIONS & BATTLE OF IDEAS 3. TOWARDS THE FOURTH. industrial revolution : CATALYSING ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUILDING AN. INCLUSIVE SOCIETY & ADVANCING A BALANCED. PUBLIC DISCOURSE. 1. INTRODUCTION issues in this new space. The ANC's 54th National Conference takes place Greater media convergence as characterised in a contested COMMUNICATIONS environment by the advent of multimedia reportage characterised by, among other things: (combining print, television, radio and The increasingly rapid uptake of social online).

2 One of the important consequences media by many of our citizens, especially of such media convergence has been a local the youth, and its increased primacy as and international media industry that is a platform of choice for accessing and increasingly oligopolistic. This new media disseminating information. Social media environment is consolidated and hegemonic use is fast surpassing traditional media as opposed to diverse and pluralistic. consumption in some countries around the Media consolidation and hegemony in world. South Africa has meant that the larger Increased inter-connectivity, whereby media houses many of whose editorial multiple sources of information are positions on government and the governing consumed on multiple devices.

3 Given this, party are adversarial predominate. Greater the ongoing BATTLE of IDEAS has assumed convergence has meant that these anti-ANC. global dimensions unprecedented since the voices, some of which overtly favour the advent of the modern media age. political opposition, dominate not just one Technological advances, underpinned but multiple platforms at any given time. by sophisticated analytical and research Challenges and divisions within the ANC. capabilities, which have forever altered the and the broader mass democratic movement local and global political landscape, and have created an opportunity for exploitation in particular the way in which electoral by such opponents of the ANC. By campaigns are conducted. Catchy sound exaggeration, selective interpretation and bites', shareable images and brief sentences punditry, and elevating relatively minor limited to 140 character counts are taking issues into national crises, opponents of precedence over unpacking substantive the ANC aim to gain currency for their 1.

4 NATIONAL POLICY CONFERENCE | DISCUSSION DOCUMENTS. narrative of an organisation in terminal sector, the ANC has sought to position itself for decline, and of a country on the brink of the digital future as a model user of ICTs and other failed statehood. This has naturally placed COMMUNICATIONS technologies - namely for internal the ANC and government on the defensive. organisational processes, mass mobilisation and A trust deficit has emerged between the the implementation of its programmes. citizenry and the SABC, as the public broadcaster lurches from one crisis to another. The opportunity cost of this 2. THEME: PREPARING FOR THE. has been substantial, as millions of FOURTH industrial revolution . South Africans turn to social media and As its theme, the document, guided by the NDP, antagonistic mainstream media platforms focuses on preparing South Africa for the Digital for their sources of information, many of Economy and the 4th industrial revolution - which lack credibility.

5 Driven by the increased use of and adaptation of ICT tools in all human activities. Technological This document seeks to develop a framework developments have now made possible machine- for the National Policy Conference discussion to-machine (M2M) COMMUNICATIONS , robots and document centred on: autonomous systems able to operate with or without Repositioning the ANC to effectively human interventions in all spheres of human participate in the BATTLE of IDEAS . activity. The 4th industrial revolution is a focus Strengthening COMMUNICATIONS capacity of of attention, as it contains within it possibilities of the Executive and Legislative branches of disrupting current economic and social structures government. profoundly over the next 20 to 50 years.

6 The task Developing a roadmap towards the for South Africa is to plan effectively, position realisation of Vision 2030 of the National itself optimally and engage proactively with these Development Plan (NDP). rapidly evolving technologies. We have within Within the context of the NDP, developing our means the capability to harness the potential a roadmap towards the Fourth industrial of these technological capacities to improve the revolution , building on the previous lives of South Africans, and overall mitigate the resolutions of the ANC that sought to negative side effects of disruption and change. position the COMMUNICATIONS industry as a significant driver of the National Available research estimates that by 2025 there Democratic revolution (NDR) and the will be more machine-to-machine communication attainment of a united, non-racial, non- than connected people in the world.

7 Undoubtedly, sexist, democratic and prosperous South this marked shift from personal contact to a Africa, and new trajectory driven by M2M communication Radical transformation of the media will forever alter the local, national and global industry and the building of a plurality of economic landscape. voices within society at large. The term 4th industrial revolution is synonymous The policy document covers the following areas: The with unprecedented and simultaneous advances BATTLE of IDEAS ; Information and COMMUNICATIONS and the convergence of ICT digital technologies, Technologies (ICT); Broadcasting and Content; robots, artificial intelligence (AI), internet Print Media Transformation and Accountability; connectivity of everything (commonly called the Government COMMUNICATIONS ; and Internal Internet of Things), 3D printing (manufacturing Organisational COMMUNICATIONS .)

8 Of goods using special printers and new materials), nanotechnology and biotechnology, and energy COMMUNICATIONS and the BATTLE of IDEAS in the storage capabilities to redefine industries and NDR, as well as the cross-cutting and catalytic forever alter the production of goods and services. nature of ICTs and the COMMUNICATIONS sector to The combination of these technologies is poised to foster economic growth and social development, introduce radical shifts in the social and economic has been the cornerstone of our approach to systems that shape our reality and how we live. It is policy making. therefore imperative that the ANC should focus on the impact of these impending disruptive changes The ANC has always recognised the need to adopt on citizens, our goals and society and ensure that a forward-looking policy in these areas in order the discussion is not about technology in and to guide government and other role players.

9 Of itself, or in isolation to its associated societal impacts. In addition to policy-making in the COMMUNICATIONS 2. NATIONAL POLICY CONFERENCE | DISCUSSION DOCUMENTS. This seismic shift of landscape is predicted to be mass production with the introduction of bigger than any changes witnessed since the advent electric power (including the introduction of the industrial revolution in the 19th century. of the assembly line by Henry Ford for These will include profound shifts across all example). Among other things, this period industries and result in the irreversible disruption included the building of railroads, large scale of the business processes of existing companies - iron and steel production, the beginning of reshaping how goods and services are produced, electrification and the introduction of the consumed, transported and delivered.

10 Within an telegraph. Agriculture was displaced as a key economic context, the 4th industrial revolution economic activity. is expected to have the potential to increase the The 3rd industrial revolution (from wealth of nations and individuals. about 1969) involved the introduction of electronics and information technology As with all periods of flux throughout history to automate produced. As it progressed, though, there will be inevitably be winners and personal computers, the Internet and losers. Without concerted policy interventions mobile phones were introduced changing the technological changes can reinforce prevailing the way people relate to each other. disparities; widen the existing digital divide, and The 4th industrial revolution perpetuate or deepen economic exclusion both similarly builds on the achievements and between countries and inside nation states.