Arnoldus Stephanus de Beer (10 June 1942 – 20 October 2021) was a South African journalist who was a Professor Extraordinary in the Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His research topics included the role of media in South African society, news flow and journalism education. Many of his English works appeared under the pen name Arnold S de Beer. Among Afrikaans colleagues and friends he was frequently known as Arrie de Beer.[1]

Arnoldus Stephanus de Beer
Born(1942-06-10)June 10, 1942
Standerton, Mpumalanga province, South Africa
DiedOctober 20, 2021(2021-10-20) (aged 79)
NationalitySouth African
OccupationJournalist

Career

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In 1980, de Beer founded the journalism research journal Ecquid Novi,[2] [3] and was as founding editor[4] on the board of the journal under the title African Journalism Studies (Routledge/T&F). He was also the editor of the 5th edition of Global Journalism – Topical Issues and Media Systems (Pearson),[5] as well as co-editor of Worlds of Journalism – Journalistic Cultures around the Globe.[6] He edited the first journalism handbook in Afrikaans, Joernalistiek Vandag (1982).[7]

A former journalist with the Afrikaans newspapers Die Burger and Die Transvaler, he was editor of the Ensiklopedie van die Wêreld before moving to academia in 1974. He was head of the departments of communication at Free State University and the University of the North-West (Potchefstroom) and acting head at the University of Johannesburg (RAU).[8][9]

He was a former board member of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the public broadcaster in South Africa,[10][11] and was an academic journalism representative and founding member of the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) [12] and served on its Appeals Committee for the SA Press Ombudsman.

De Beer was a co-founder[13] and president of the South African Communication Association and was a Lifelong Fellow.[14] In 2000 he became the first recipient of the Stals prize for journalism awarded by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns.[15]

A visiting scholar at the universities of Washington, Baylor, and Indiana-Purdue, he was also a professor extraordinary at the University of the Western Cape.[8] Until 2019 de Beer was a member of the executive committee and African coordinator of the Worlds of Journalism Study.[16] [17][18]

Death

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He died on 20 October 2021.[19][20]

References

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  1. ^ "Arnold S de Beer | Stellenbosch University - Academia.edu". sun.academia.edu.
  2. ^ Wasserman, Herman (1 January 2007). "Editorial note : a new era". Ecquid Novi. 28 (1_2): 9–10. doi:10.1080/02560054.2007.9653356. S2CID 145474519 – via journals.co.za.
  3. ^ Tomaselli, Keyan G. (1 January 2004). "First and third person encounters: Ecquid Novi, theoretical lances and research methodology". Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies. 25 (2): 210–234. doi:10.1080/02560054.2004.9653295. S2CID 145003139 – via Taylor and Francis+NEJM.
  4. ^ "African Journalism Studies Editorial Board". www.tandfonline.com.
  5. ^ "Global Journalism: Topical Issues and Media Systems, 5th Edition". www.pearson.com.
  6. ^ Worlds of Journalism: Journalistic Cultures Around the Globe. Columbia University Press. June 2019. ISBN 9780231546638.
  7. ^ Joernalistiek, Vandag (1 January 1982). "Resensies/Reviews". Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies. 3 (1): 59–60. doi:10.1080/02560054.1982.9652900 – via Taylor and Francis+NEJM.
  8. ^ a b "Prof Arnold (Arrie) de Beer". www.sun.ac.za. Archived from the original on 6 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  9. ^ "South African Human Sciences Research Networking Directory" (PDF). eric.ed.gov. 1996. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Television comes to South Africa" (PDF). up.ac.za. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  11. ^ Du Plessis, Christiaan (18 November 2020). "Al RSG se omroepers kry briewe". Netwerk24.
  12. ^ South African National Editors’ Forum
  13. ^ "History – SACOMM".
  14. ^ "Honorary Members – SACOMM".
  15. ^ "Bekroningsplegtigheid" (PDF). Nuusbrief, SA Akademie. December 2018. p. 16. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Principal Investigators (2012–2016)".
  17. ^ "Honorary Members – SACOMM". sacomm.org.za. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020.
  18. ^ Keyan Gray Tomaselli (2002). "A brief history of South African journalism, mass communication and media education". African Communication Scholars Association. 4 (1).
  19. ^ "In memoriam: Arnold S de Beer". LitNet. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  20. ^ Gous, Nico. "Professor in joernalistiek se dood 'laat groot leemte'". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 11 December 2021.