De Beer (MA RAU; MIJ Baylor; PhD Potchefstroom) is a
Professor Extraordinary in the Journalism Department. His research
topics include the role of media in South African society, news flow and
journalism education. Presently he is the African coordinator of the
Worlds of Journalism Study, the largest international research project
yet dealing with the role of journalists. In 1980 he founded Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies (ENAJS) and is presently managing editor of this ISI listed journal. He is also the editor of Global Journalism (Pearson). A former journalist with Die Burger and Die Transvalue, he was editor of the Ensiklopedie van die Wêreld before
moving to academe. 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).
He is a former member of the SABC Board, SA Press Council, and the
Appeals Committee of the SA Press Ombudsman. He was the first recipient
of the Stals Prize in the field of communication, which was awarded by
the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns. He was a visiting scholar at the
universities of Washington, Baylor, and Indiana-Purdue, as well as a
professor extraordinary at the University of the Western Cape.
E-mail: asdebeer@sun.ac.za / asdebeer@imasa.org
For information about the Department in which De Beer is based, click here.