Assignment 1 Semester 2 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: August 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
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, 1.1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study is to examine how the Sowetan, a leading South African
daily newspaper, covers sports stories within its print edition. This research will
analyse five consecutive issues of the Sowetan to identify patterns in sports
reporting, including the types of sports covered, the amount of space allocated to
sports compared to other topics, the placement of sports stories within the paper,
and the tone of coverage. The study will also assess the representation of gender in
sports coverage, the sources and voices featured, and the use of images to convey
meaning. Using a content analysis approach, the research will integrate both
quantitative and qualitative methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of
sports journalism in the Sowetan. The proposal outlines the research problem,
subproblems, literature review, theoretical framework, and research design,
culminating in a conclusion summarising the intended outcomes of the study (Du
Plooy, 2009).
1.3 SUBPROBLEMS
From the main research problem, three subproblems can be identified:
Subproblem 1: Which sports and sporting events receive the most coverage in the
Sowetan, and how much space is allocated to them compared to other sports? This
will help determine if coverage is concentrated on a few popular sports or spread
across a wider variety.
Subproblem 2: What is the nature of the coverage in terms of tone (positive,
negative, or neutral) and whose voices are most frequently represented? This will
reveal whether the reporting favours particular perspectives, such as players,
coaches, fans, or officials.
Subproblem 3: How does the Sowetan represent gender in sports coverage, both in
the choice of subjects and in the use of images? This will determine whether male
and female athletes receive equitable representation and whether visual content
reinforces or challenges gender stereotypes (Du Plooy, 2009).
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