| Summary: | Abstract
The topics in the opinion pages of newspapers are the substance of much public debate and
discussion. This research report focuses on the Sunday Times, one of South Africa's most
influential newspapers, and seeks to understand how columnists and issues are chosen for its
opinion and analysis pages. The research was conducted by interviewing decision-makers at the
Sunday Times, observing them during their meetings and conducting a content analysis of the
newspaper. The findings identify journalistic professional practice as a key element in the
selection process, along with an awareness of, and to some extent, identification with, a national
project of transformation in a post-repressive regime. The findings also point to how issues of
transformation in South Africa affect how media decision-makers consider their own jobs and
motivates them to make conscious efforts to push the media agenda forward in a way
constructive to public discourse.
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