Monitoring Grocott’s Policy:

1. Monitoring Grocott’s Policy: Research Team: • Thanduxolo Jika • Modise Kabeli • Thandy Kunene • Susan Nakacwa • Thando Sebesho

2. Research Aims: • To identify trends followed in monitoring policy • To establish who is better placed for the responsibility of monitoring policy • Provide propositions for monitoring Grocott’s policy

3. Research Methods: Qualitative research: • Interviews • E-mails • In-depth (open ended) questions

4. Findings: • Grocott’s does not have a formalized document that outlines who is responsible for monitoring policy • Only an arbitrary level of implementation of arbitrary policy decisions exists • Readers have been acting as watchdogs e.g. calling-in to complain about something published

5. Grocott’s Organogram: Board of Directors Board of Advisors General Manager Adverts Editor Publishing

6. Advisory Board: Advisory Board Members Editorial Policy Expert/s Financial Expert/s Legal Expert/s Other Expert/s Policy Awareness • Focus Groups • Media Campaigns • Public Meetings

7. Recommendations: • There should be a Qualitative Review of each issue - this will help the editor monitor the quality of the newspaper, especially in the beginning stages. • The Review can be as simple as passing a copy of the newspaper to all people responsible for content & production, & asking them to mark criticisms and suggestions on the copy for all to see.

8. Recommendations continued: Composition of the Advisory Board: • Should be representative - consist of members with diff. expertise, e.g authorities in the areas of law, finance, education, editorial policy, etc. - also, consist of different communities and social orientations in Grahamstown.

9. Recommendations continued: Responsibilities: Advisory Board (Policy Expert/s): • create policy awareness through media campaigns, focus groups & public meetings. • Sit-in & mediate on meetings to solve conflict regarding policy matters. • Investigate, judge or punish those responsible for lapses

10. Recommendations continued: Responsibilities: Editor: • clearly define & implement the editorial policy • establish procedures to maintain newspaper quality, • identify errors & problems, • detect trends & monitor possible failures that reflect a deterioration in quality, & • implement corrective actions as needed.

11. Recommendations continued: Focus groups: • gather role players in all sectors for policy input • create policy awareness • review/assess adherence to policy - e.g. review articles on Grocott’s Mail for policy adherence.

12. Recommendations continued: Radio broadcasts and press releases • For information broadcasts, awareness campaigns, creating a platform to call public meetings or give reminders e.g Radio Grahamstown, RMR and Grocott’s. • The radio stations will be mediums of giving feedback, responses and reminders.

13. Recommendations continued: Public meetings • large scale meetings in different areas in Grahamstown. • should be recorded & have translators available for Xhosa or Afrikaans speakers. • Grocott’s Project e.g. GRAB – could use students on a voluntary basis

14. Finally… The Board of Advisors will, on their bi-annual meetings, submit an audit of the qualitative review to the Board of Directors.