There are not many readers dissatisfied with Folha’s coverage of the soccer World Cup in Germany. At least that is the indication from a small number of messages received by the ombudsman. The main criticisms are not directed specifically at Folha, but toward the press in general: excessive space (in newspapers) or time (TV), boosterism and alienation.
There are readers who admit that they hate soccer and complain about the number of ads for the Cup that fill the front pages and inside pages of the newspaper. And, there are those who love the sport and follow the Cup, but also see exaggerations.
Size
One of the characteristics of World Cup coverage by the big Brazilian newspapers is precisely exaggeration. In other words, this formula does not apply just to the Cup. Any other big topic in which big reader interest is expected pushes newspapers to compete for quantity (of pages), not necessary quality (of information).
Exaggerated coverage is not a characteristic of only the Brazilian press. In all the countries where there is a tradition of soccer, the press right now is totally focused on Germany. This occurs even at the most prestigious newspapers, such as “El Pas” of Spain, a reference point for quality journalism.
On Tuesday, Brazilian newspapers wrote about Brazil’s opening game against Croatia. Folha published a section with 12 pages; “O Estado de So Paulo” (16 pages), and the Rio daily “O Globo” (20) had the most. “El Pas,” a tabloid, on Wednesday carried Spain’s opening game against the Ukraine in a 22-page section, the equivalent of Folha’s space.
The big difference between the three Brazilian newspapers and the Spanish one is visibility. The front page of “El Pas” on Wednesday carried a discreet teaser at the bottom of the page about the Spanish team’s first game and an ample table of contents. At Folha on Tuesday the display under the refrain “2006 World Cup” about Brazil’s game occupied 660f the front page. Another example of overdose occurred yesterday. Practically the entire top half of the front page was taken up by photos of the six Argentine players who scored goals against Serbia and Montenegro.
Omission
The huge daily attention to the Cup on the front page pushes other news to the second tier and generates complaints by those who believe that newspapers take advantage of the situation to slacken their coverage of the nation’s big problems, such as corruption and criminality, and important topics, such as the presidential elections.
It is true that these topics lose space, but it is also true, in the case of politics, that the news is scarce and that newspapers create dramas out of small events. The headlines in Folha yesterday and the day before yesterday consisted of insults between the administration and opposition. The newspaper ignored, for example, a report by the United Nations about the growth of slums around the world.
Readers who complain most about the omission of news these days, curiously, are readers of the sports page who do not agree with soccer’s hegemony and the stingy amount of news about important competitions in tennis (Rolland Garros), yachting (Volvo Ocean Race regatta) and basketball (the NBA finals). Sports columns which are not about soccer can be read on Folha Online during the Cup.
Boosterism
This is another historic characteristic of sports journalism in Brazil. Folha generally has a more critical attitude toward the national team, which sometimes is confused with a bad attitude. During this Cup, I did not notice any of the extremes, except the front page on Tuesday’s section, when Brazil’s team had its first game: “Super, master, hyper, ultra, maxi, power, mega-favorite.” The edition was counterbalanced, however, with a “but …” which had the team’s problems on the back page, the history of frustrations in other Cups and the difficulties it will face in Germany.
“O Globo” exaggerated in its presentation of the game: “The hour of the star – Ronaldinho Gacho comes on the scene to make history.” But nothing comes close to what we heard on television.
This Cup has a stronger presence on TV and the Internet, which is carrying live coverage in real time of just about everything happening in Germany. Little is left for newspapers the next day. They should distinguish themselves with exclusive news, stories and analyses, but this happens very seldom.
Pages are filled basically with news that is already known the day before and by commentary already available in other media. This is probably the biggest problem.
Emphasis and distortion
Anthropologist Gilberto Velho is dean of the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He adores soccer.
OMBUDSMAN – The main criticism that I see about press coverage of the Cup in Germany involves excessive space and time, boosterism and the fact that other relevant topics end up being overshadowed. What is your opinion?
GILBERTO VELHO – I agree, but it has another dimension: it is inevitable, as events unfold in daily life, that people are distracted by other topics. People can’t spend all their time in the realm of suffering, as tragic as life is, in a society with complaints about corruption and daily life full of violence. All this is true, but it is necessary to understand that society, with its complexity, makes people move on various planes. It has its sporting side, a loving side and a festive side.
Now, I believe that the press gives excessive coverage, ignoring or obscuring other topics. I am not saying that it is a conspiracy, but there is excessive attention paid to the Cup.
Besides this, there is emphasis on a certain type of topic that implies a certain distortion, such as the case of Ronaldo, transforming the center of attention and even being a sacrificial lamb. I see a dimension of cruelty that scares me. The big topic goes from being a personal drama, the difficulty of an individual, and not the dimension of sports, the team as a whole and the actions of other players. I believe that it has become an exercise of public cruelty in a way.
The Brazilian team, from the middle to the front, played badly. Ronaldinho Gacho did not play the way he is used to playing. Kak had a beautiful play, he ran more, and he made a beautiful goal. Adriano did not play at all. The team did not play well as a whole.
However, everything is on a dramatic scale, a personal side, almost creating a Ronaldo soap opera, the opposite of discussing the general competence of the team and articulation among the parts.
Therefore, I believe that it is not just because there is too much about the Cup. There is too much chatter and focus on a theme that does not give a more general vision.
Another thing that I also see as very strange, which perhaps appears more on television than in the written press, is the mania for statistics and numbers.
It is a real obsession that sometimes disguises a lack of knowledge about the history of soccer.
Translation by John Wright
