Papers Miss Major Story During World Cup
BOPPARD, Germany—International news coverage is always a concern in newsrooms. Studies have shown that readers would like to see more of it. Yet, you don’t want to go overboard and dish out too much. How to find that perfect balance is a struggle for Wyoming newspapers.
One major story that escaped American media for a long time this summer was the transformation that took place in the host country of the FIFA 2006 World Cup.
Perhaps journalists were more concerned with covering soccer matches throughout Germany than doing a little history and observing the magnitude of what was taking place.
After all, FIFA estimates that each match during the 16-team World Cup had a worldwide television audience of 350 million, which dwarfs the 95 million who tuned in the 2006 Super Bowl.
ESPN finally mentioned briefly—during Germany’s semifinal loss to Italy—the show of nationalism that had spread throughout the country. It had been touched on in a few German publications, but those are neither regular nor random reading materials for U.S. sportswriters.
Unlike fans in other countries that worship soccer, who seem always to display fanatical behavior to extremes during their matches, German citizens have been reared in a society that frowns on such behavior. Culturally, Germans are hard-working, serious citizens. Longtime, next-door neighbors still greet one another formally as Mr. Schmidt and Mrs. Jones.
Patriotism was practically banned because of what happened when Hitler’s fervor swept the country before and during World War II. Except for souvenir shops and public buildings, you rarely saw German flags on display. How that has changed over the summer.
Politicians and journalists earlier this year were debating how to show support for the German team that qualified for the World Cup, without shocking the rest of the world into thinking that right-wing radicalism was alive and well.
“There was a lot of displaying of flags on automobiles,” said American Jim Sunthimer, who has lived here for 30 years. “I had never seen that in the past.
Other nations had no problem waving their flags from cars after a victory. The Germans were a little reluctant.”
Owner of Hotel Günther in Boppard, Sunthimer added that the baby boomer generation is not ashamed of their nation. “I think (they) have a right to feel proud of the country and its accomplishments.”
One of my students from Germany, who studied at Susquehanna University fall semester, is mesmerized by the transformation of her homeland since returning to the University of Konstanz in January.
“It is a totally new experience for the Germans now,” said Frederike Nolten, 22. “This country turned upside down.”
Miss Nolten admits to not having sung her national anthem before because she never learned how. She said she had never owned a German flag, which appeared all over the country, from homes, automobiles and individuals to clothing and faces painted black, red and gold.
“I enjoy the new feeling now and the first time we’ve had the chance to be proud of this country,” she added.
Even though displays of Nazism were legally banned, the topic is not forgotten.
School children learn about the horrors of that dictatorship during all eight years of public schooling. When the still-popular Hogan’s Heroes reruns appear on German TV, the salute and “Heil Hitler” statement are replaced with such German expressions as “The corn is this high” or “My nephew is this tall.”
But the most-watched television event of the year did not contribute international stories beyond the actual matches for sports pages back in the U.S.
Both newspaper and television audiences have expressed a desire for more international coverage. A 2004 study by the Radio and
Television News Directors Foundation found that local viewers wanted more international stories, but with a local context. Their suggestions on what could be shortened from the newscasts were topped by crime news and the weather.
As more communities become more diverse with an international flavor, the local press will reflect that in its coverage. For example, Vietnam stories will have more impact in multicultural cities of Oregon than, say, Arizona, where Mexico datelines get displayed.
Unfortunately, international coverage has never been more dangerous. Last year saw a record number of deaths of reporters. Journalists today are just as likely to be shot as soldiers. Freedom of the press has never been cheap.
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Dr. Randy Hines teaches in the Department of Communications at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. He is in Germany this summer for academic research and a family wedding. He can be contacted at randyhinesapr@yahoo.com.
