Focusing on three South African communities the authors dismiss the idea that some groups are voiceless, arguing that they are being deliberately ignored by dominant news mediaThe dominant news media are often accused of reflecting an 'elite bias', privileging and foregrounding the interests of a small segment of society while ignoring the narratives of the majority. The authors of Tell Our Story investigate this problem and offer a hands-on demonstration of listening journalism and research in practice. In the process they dismiss the idea that some groups are voiceless, arguing that what is often described in such terms is mostly a matter of those groups being deliberately ignored. Focusing their attention on three very different South African communities they delve into the life and struggle narratives of each, exposing the divide between the stories told by the people who actually live in the communities and the way in which those stories have been understood and shaped by the media. The three communities are those living in the Glebelands hostel complex in Durban where over 100 residents have been killed in politically motivated violence in the past few years; the Xolobeni community on the Wild Coast, which has been resisting the building of a new toll road and a dune mining venture; and Thembelihle, a settlement south-west of Johannesburg that has been resisting removal for many years. The book concludes with a set of practical guidelines for journalists on the practice of listening journalism.

List of FiguresAcknowledgementsAbbreviations and AcronymsChapter 1 The Importance of Voice and the Myth of the 'Voiceless' - Julie ReidPart 1 From the Inside: Voice(s) from the GroundChapter 2 Community Perspective, Experience and Voice - Julie Reid and Dale T McKinleyChapter 3 Glebelands Hostel, Durban - Dale T McKinleyChapter 4 Xolobeni, Eastern Cape - Dale T McKinleyChapter 5 Thembelihle Community, Johannesburg - Dale T McKinleyPart 2 From the Outside: Dominant VoiceChapter 6 Dominant Media Telling and Elite Communication - Dale T McKinleyChapter 7 The Political Economy of Dominant Power and Storytelling - Dale T McKinleyPart 3 New Trajectories for Journalism and Voice(s)Chapter 8 Media Diversity and Voice(s) - Julie ReidChapter 9 Rethinking Media Freedom, Revamping Media Ethics - Julie ReidChapter 10 Planting the Seeds of Change - Julie ReidNotesBibliographyIndex