COM3706 Assignment 1 Semester 2 2026 – Due 1 September 2026

COM3706 Assignment 1 Semester 2 2026 – Due 1 September 2026
COM3706 ASSIGNMENT 1 SEMESTER 2 2026
DUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2027
A Social Media Analysis Study to Understand How the South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Engages Its Audience on Facebook

1.1 INTRODUCTION
The digital age has changed the way radio stations talk to their audiences. In the past,
radio stations mostly talked to people, and people only listened. Today, people can also
talk back, comment, share posts, and give their opinions. This means that audiences
are not only listeners anymore. They can also take part in making and sharing
information. This study looks at how the South African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC) uses social media to communicate with its audience. The study will mainly look
at Facebook.
The SABC is South Africa’s public broadcasting service. Its job is to inform, educate,
and entertain people. The SABC also represents the different cultures and languages
found in South Africa. Today, the SABC uses social media to reach more people and to
communicate with its audience. Facebook is a very popular social media platform in
South Africa, so it is useful for studying how the SABC talks to its audience.
Research has shown that social media, such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), has
become an important part of radio stations. Radio stations use social media to share
news and communicate with their listeners (Bonini et al., 2014; Matsilele et al., 2023).
Research on South African radio stations has also shown that social media helps radio
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