COM3706 ASSIGNMENT 3 SEMESTER 2 2025 (Answer Guide) – Due 17 October 2025

COM3706 ASSIGNMENT 3 SEMESTER 2 2025 (Answer Guide) – Due 17 October 2025 Title Sports Coverage in the Daily Sun: A Content Analysis of Framing in South African Print Media Introduction This portfolio explores how the Daily Sun, one of South Africa’s most widely read daily newspapers, reports on sports content. The central objective is to analyse both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of sports coverage, focusing on how framing shapes audience perceptions of sporting events. Framing theory suggests that the media does not merely reflect reality but organises and interprets it in ways that highlight certain aspects while marginalising others (Entman, 1993). Previous studies have shown that sports journalism often privileges men’s sports and dominant narratives, while underrepresenting women athletes and alternative voices (Parry et al., 2023). Through content analysis of five issues of the Daily Sun, this study evaluates the placement, space allocation, themes, and framing techniques employed in sports stories. The analysis contributes to broader debates on the intersection of media, sport, and social representation in South Africa’s diverse context (Lewis & Weaver, 2015). Research Problem Statement This study investigates how the Daily Sun frames sports coverage in South Africa. The focus is on identifying the prominence, placement, and themes of sports stories, as well as examining the representation of gender and the use of framing techniques. The problem guiding the study is that sports journalism has been criticised for reinforcing unequal representation, particularly privileging men’s sports while marginalising women’s achievements (Parry et al., 2023). Using a mixed-methods content analysis of five consecutive issues, the research aims to evaluate how framing influences audience understanding and contributes to broader discourses on sport and society (Entman, 1993). Subproblems