, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE TO ANSWER YOUR ASSIGNMENT
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION Page 3
2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT/MAIN ISSUE Page 3
3. SUBPROBLEMS Page 3
4. LITERATURE REVIEW Page 4
5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Page 5
6. RESEARCH DESIGN Page 5
7. PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS Page 7
8. DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS Page 19
9. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Page 19
10. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Page 19
11. CONCLUSION Page 20
12. REFERENCES Page 21
, THE COVERAGE OF SPORTS STORIES IN THE DAILY MAVERICK: A CONTENT
ANALYSIS OF MEDIA REPRESENTATION AND ITS IMPACT ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION
1. INTRODUCTION
Sports journalism does more than report on games; it constructs the narratives through which the
public understands athletes, competitions, and the very culture of sport itself. This study employs a
qualitative content analysis to investigate the framing of sports stories in The Daily Maverick, a
prominent South African news outlet known for its analytical and investigative approach. By
dissecting the underlying narratives, tones, and thematic emphases in its coverage, this research
seeks to understand how the newspaper portrays sporting events and figures. The primary aim is to
uncover the potential impact of this media framing on public perception, exploring how The Daily
Maverick's distinctive journalistic voice may shape societal attitudes towards sports within the
unique socio-political context of South Africa.
This proposal will subsequently detail the research problem, review relevant literature on media
framing theory, outline the methodological design for data collection and analysis, and justify the
selection of both the publication and the sample.
2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT
The power of media framing means that how The Daily Maverick covers sports—its selection of
events, portrayal of athletes, and narrative tone—directly influences public discourse. However, the
specific nature of this coverage and its resultant impact remain unexamined. This study identifies a
gap in understanding how this influential South African outlet shapes the narrative around sports.
Through a content analysis, it will systematically investigate what is being reported, how it is framed,
and the subsequent implications for public perception of athletes, sporting culture, and institutions
within the South African context.
3. SUBPROBLEM
Subproblem 1: Prioritization of Sports and Events
To determine the editorial prioritization of sports, this subproblem will quantify the frequency,
prominence, and scale of coverage allocated to different sports (e.g., rugby, soccer, cricket) and
specific events within them.
Subproblem 2: Framing of Athletes' Identities
To analyze the representation of athletes, this subproblem will examine how portrayals vary across
demographic lines, including gender, race, and nationality, assessing whether these frames are
predominantly positive, negative, or neutral.
Subproblem 3: Narrative Tone and Thematic Framing
To identify the dominant narrative patterns, this subproblem will investigate the overarching tone
(e.g., celebratory, critical) and recurring thematic frames (e.g., national pride, socio-political
controversy, economic analysis) within the sports coverage.
Subproblem 4: Underlying Biases and Editorial Slant
To uncover potential editorial bias, this subproblem will analyze the selection of sources, use of
language, and focus of stories to identify underlying slants, such as a consistent emphasis on scandal,
commercial success, or specific ideological perspectives.
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION Page 3
2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT/MAIN ISSUE Page 3
3. SUBPROBLEMS Page 3
4. LITERATURE REVIEW Page 4
5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Page 5
6. RESEARCH DESIGN Page 5
7. PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS Page 7
8. DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS Page 19
9. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Page 19
10. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Page 19
11. CONCLUSION Page 20
12. REFERENCES Page 21
, THE COVERAGE OF SPORTS STORIES IN THE DAILY MAVERICK: A CONTENT
ANALYSIS OF MEDIA REPRESENTATION AND ITS IMPACT ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION
1. INTRODUCTION
Sports journalism does more than report on games; it constructs the narratives through which the
public understands athletes, competitions, and the very culture of sport itself. This study employs a
qualitative content analysis to investigate the framing of sports stories in The Daily Maverick, a
prominent South African news outlet known for its analytical and investigative approach. By
dissecting the underlying narratives, tones, and thematic emphases in its coverage, this research
seeks to understand how the newspaper portrays sporting events and figures. The primary aim is to
uncover the potential impact of this media framing on public perception, exploring how The Daily
Maverick's distinctive journalistic voice may shape societal attitudes towards sports within the
unique socio-political context of South Africa.
This proposal will subsequently detail the research problem, review relevant literature on media
framing theory, outline the methodological design for data collection and analysis, and justify the
selection of both the publication and the sample.
2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT
The power of media framing means that how The Daily Maverick covers sports—its selection of
events, portrayal of athletes, and narrative tone—directly influences public discourse. However, the
specific nature of this coverage and its resultant impact remain unexamined. This study identifies a
gap in understanding how this influential South African outlet shapes the narrative around sports.
Through a content analysis, it will systematically investigate what is being reported, how it is framed,
and the subsequent implications for public perception of athletes, sporting culture, and institutions
within the South African context.
3. SUBPROBLEM
Subproblem 1: Prioritization of Sports and Events
To determine the editorial prioritization of sports, this subproblem will quantify the frequency,
prominence, and scale of coverage allocated to different sports (e.g., rugby, soccer, cricket) and
specific events within them.
Subproblem 2: Framing of Athletes' Identities
To analyze the representation of athletes, this subproblem will examine how portrayals vary across
demographic lines, including gender, race, and nationality, assessing whether these frames are
predominantly positive, negative, or neutral.
Subproblem 3: Narrative Tone and Thematic Framing
To identify the dominant narrative patterns, this subproblem will investigate the overarching tone
(e.g., celebratory, critical) and recurring thematic frames (e.g., national pride, socio-political
controversy, economic analysis) within the sports coverage.
Subproblem 4: Underlying Biases and Editorial Slant
To uncover potential editorial bias, this subproblem will analyze the selection of sources, use of
language, and focus of stories to identify underlying slants, such as a consistent emphasis on scandal,
commercial success, or specific ideological perspectives.
