South African journalists' experiences of reporting on the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™

Abstract

Purpose: The primary goal of this research study was to describe South African journalists’ experiences of reporting on the 2010 FIFA World Cup South AfricaTM . As this study focused on journalists’ experiences before, during and after the 2010 FIFA WC, three secondary goals were identified, namely to describe South African journalists’ experiences of preparing to report on the 2010 FIFA WC, to describe South African journalists’ experiences of reporting during the 2010 FIFA WC, and to describe how South African journalists’ experiences of reporting on the 2010 FIFA WC may have influenced the future of these journalists. Methodology: As the aim of this research project was to study South African journalists’ experiences of reporting on the 2010 FIFA WC, the researcher adopted a descriptive phenomenological research position, in particular the Duquesne Phenomenological Research Method (DPRM). With reference to this study, an objective phenomenon (reporting on the 2010 FIFA WC) was primarily understood by the researcher through the individuals’ (South African journalists) subjective descriptions of their first-hand experience of this phenomenon. This objective phenomenon presented itself within the mind of the individual and the researcher had access to this reality through the journalists’ written accounts and consequent interviews. These were the two methods of data collection. The notions of reduction, bracketing, and free imagination were used in order to keep the researcher’s personal biases and prior knowledge from disrupting the knowledge of the objective phenomenon. Findings: The findings of the study centred on a recurring theme of the essence of unfamiliarity and how soccer and the 2010 FIFA WC event gradually shifted to become more familiar. This appeared to inform the journalists’ experiences prior, during and after the 2010 FIFA WC. The journalists’ experiences of reporting told a story of the unfamiliarity of both soccer and of the 2010 FIFA WC event. This unfamiliarity made the task of preparation difficult, but nevertheless significant. Through the process of preparation the unfamiliarity was challenged. The journalists experienced having to work harder than they had ever done previously and witnessed how South Africans, including all races and language groups, became enveloped by the magnitude of the event. In the process the journalists experienced the coming together of a nation. Furthermore, they changed their perspectives about South Africans, about their readers, and about the reporting ability of South African journalists. Finally these experiences portrayed the uniqueness of the first FIFA World Cup (WC) on African soil.