‘Reporting the World Cup’ – a two-part video journalism (VJ) training project - brought 14 journalists, producers and cameramen from seven countries to Johannesburg October 5 – 23. During the first workshop, participants from Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Bhutan, Syria, Mexico and Vietnam researched and developed content ideas and also looked at the technical aspects for covering World Cup events this June.

“Our goal was to produce TV human interest stories centred around football,” says Michael Kraus, the DW-AKADEMIE Project Manager who headed the training together with colleagues Pamela Schobess, Niels Eixler, Thomas Rehermann und Charles Achaye-Odong.

Four reports were produced during the three weeks: Makarapa –Making Unique Soccer Fan Headgear; Women’s Soccer – Portrait of a National Player; Soweto Soccer – Kicking Kids in the Township; and On the Way to the Festival – The Slightly Different City Tour.

“Using football to tell socially-related stories was new for everyone,” says Kraus. “The four films really show how this can work,” says Kraus.

The 14 participants will be back in South Africa in June for the second and final part of the training. There they’ll be producing VJ reports on World Cup events for their own stations. During the championship their stations will have access to a special internet portal where they can download and use current World Cup reports, photos, articles and voice clips.