MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA AND SOCIETY STUDIES DISPASSIONATE REPORTING? THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ZIMBABWE MEN’S CRICKET TEAM IN THE HERALD AND DAILYNEWS BY PARDON D MUKWEKWERERE REGISTRATION NUMBER: R131604Q This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Media and Society Studies Honors’ Degree at Midlands State University. Gweru, Zimbabwe NOVEMBER, 2016. ABSTRACT The study seeks to assess how the Zimbabwe men‟s cricket team is constructed by the two mainstream newspapers, The Herald and DailyNews. Making of or construction of reality is within the daily interactions of human in society. Society helps in shaping people‟s view of the world. Construction means making-up or “creating reality”. The Herald and DailyNews articles between January 2016 and November 2016 constructed the Zimbabwe men‟s cricket team as failures and how it makes headlines in the print media specifically in The Herald and DailyNews. The researcher sought to find the effectiveness of The Herald and DailyNews in constructing the cricket team and players, and why they make headlines in the newspapers. The study was informed by the following theoretical framework namely framing theory and political economy of the media. In addition, the research made use of qualitative research methods, critical discourse analysis and content analysis. Since the study has to be understood under its contextual meanings to find out how and why the two newspapers constructed the Zimbabwe men‟s cricket team as the worst team in the game of cricket, and however a little bit of quantitative research methods were used. The findings of the study revealed that the political, economic and community identity issues traverse ion the management and production of sports news in The Herald and DailyNews bringing out a parasitism relationship between the two disciplines, sport and the mass media. i Table of Contents ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. ii ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................... v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background of the study .............................................................................................. 1 1.3 Statement of the problem ........................................................................................ 3 1.4 Significance of the study .............................................................................................. 3 1.5 Objectives of the study ................................................................................................. 4 1.6 Main research question ................................................................................................ 4 1.7 Sub Research Question ................................................................................................ 5 1.8 Delimitations of the Study ........................................................................................... 5 1.9 Limitations of the study ............................................................................................... 5 1.10 Assumptions of the Study .......................................................................................... 5 1.11 Structure of the study ................................................................................................. 6 1.12 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 2 ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 7 2.2 Review of related literature .......................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 The relationship between the media and sport ........................................................... 7 2.2.2 Sport and politics .................................................................................................... 11 2.2.3 Media, Ethnicity and Cricket ................................................................................... 13 2.2.4 The construction of cricket stars by the media ......................................................... 15 2.3 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 17 2.3.1 Framing .................................................................................................................. 17 2.3.2 Political economy of the media ............................................................................... 20 2.3.3 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 21 CHAPTER 3 ....................................................................................................................... 22 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 22 3.3 Unit of Analysis ......................................................................................................... 23 3.4 Sampling Methods ..................................................................................................... 23 ii 3.5 Purposive Sampling ................................................................................................... 24 3.6 Methods of Data Gathering ........................................................................................ 24 3.6.1 Archival Research ................................................................................................... 25 3.7 Methods of Data Analysis .......................................................................................... 26 3.7.1 Critical Discourse Analysis ..................................................................................... 26 3.8 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................... 28 3.9 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 28 CHAPTER 4 ....................................................................................................................... 29 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 29 4.2 The Herald ................................................................................................................. 29 4.2.1 Historical background and political economy .......................................................... 29 4.1.1 Funding Mechanism................................................................................................ 30 4.1.2 Mission Statement................................................................................................... 32 4.1.3 Core values ............................................................................................................. 33 4.1.4 Organisation‟s Core Business.................................................................................. 33 4.2 Organisational structure ............................................................................................. 33 4.2.1 The Editor ............................................................................................................... 33 4.2.2 The Deputy Editor .................................................................................................. 34 4.2.3 News Editor ............................................................................................................ 34 4.2.4 Senior Sports Editor ................................................................................................ 35 4.2.5 Sports Editor ........................................................................................................... 35 4.2.6 Sub-Editors ............................................................................................................. 36 4.2.7 Senior Reporters ..................................................................................................... 36 4.2.8 Junior Reporters ...................................................................................................... 36 4.2.9 Photographers ......................................................................................................... 37 4.2.10 Link with other organisations ................................................................................ 37 4.3 The DailyNews .......................................................................................................... 38 4.3.1 Historical Background and Political Economy ........................................................ 38 4.3.2 Funding Mechanism...............................................................................................