Sisanda Nkoala

Biography

I'm Sisanda Nkoala, an Associate Professor at the University of the Western Cape. The key focus of my scholarship and teaching is on the rhetoric and language of and in South African media ecologies. My work is focused on analysing how different actors within the media space use language to persuade, what they persuade us of, and how the unique characteristics of the South African context impact the rhetorical and linguistic choices. The aim is to unpack the persuasive power of media in shaping the South African narrative particularly in relation to marginalised voices, indigenous languages, and alternative media platforms and forms. This in turn has the potential to 

• inform media practices and policies, 

• enhance linguistic and digital media inclusivity,

• guide educational approaches in media studies

• and empower marginalized voices in both traditional and digital media settings as media audiences and creators

I hold a PhD in Rhetoric Studies from the University of Cape Town, where my research focused on the persuasive aspects of television news reports about crime and justice. My research interests are in the rhetoric and language of media ecologies in South Africa, covering topics like multilingual education, journalism education, media law, and court and crime reporting. 

 I've presented my research at international and national conferences, and published extensively in peer reviewed journals including Journalism Studies, Information, Communication & Society and International Journal of Multilingualism. I am an associate editor of the Journal of Communication Technology and am finalising a special issue as a guest editor of the African Journalism Studies journal. I have two edited book volumes published by Palgrave Macmillan on 100 Years of Radio in South Africa: South African Radio Stations and Broadcaster: Then & Now and Community Radio, Digital Radio and the Future of Radio in South Africa.