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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
CNN, the first network to provide 24-hour television news, is a major global network available in over 212 countries and territories. The channel which carries news, current affairs and business programming, is firmly focused on the 2010 World Cup. Project 2010 spoke to Kim Norgaard, CNN's Johannesburg Bureau Chief about the network's preparations for the tournament...  CNN has been actively involved in highlighting South Africa's preparations for the 2010 World Cup - do you find there is significant international interest in the event? The FIFA 2010 World Cup is much more than one of the greatest sports tournaments, it is also a great social event for people, teams and nations to come together. With football being the world's most popular sport, no matter where you travel on the continent or abroad, people are interested and eagerly anticipating this event. Even in countries such as Kenya, where the national team will not qualify, there is a buzz and excitement about the tournament. And they want to be part of it. This is why CNN has aggressively reported on all aspects of this tournament. It is just a great story for South Africa, the continent and the rest of the world. There is a great deal of misconceptions about South Africa - and the rest of the continent - around the world. Does this present a particular challenge for you? CNN has a long and proud record of reporting on the continent. We do report on the stories that put the continent and humanity in bad light - the conflicts, abuse and greed that you find everywhere. We have to highlight these as our audience expects this from us. But if that were the only story we told of South Africa and the continent, we would be doing our profession and the region a gross injustice. Instead, that is just where our storytelling of Africa begins. Through our regular coverage and special African focused programs such as African Voices and Inside Africa, CNN also reports on the great triumphs in business, the arts and humanity that we find on the continent. With the FIFA 2010 World Cup, we will highlight those issues which worry many South Africans and visitors such as crime and readiness. But through our commitment to this story, we are also able to show how some South Africans are successfully battling crime and highlight that there is so much more to the country than these twin issues. How people in Mossel Bay are learning Spanish, how young Kenyans are planning to drive in a convoy to the games, how to blow a vuvuzela….the number of fantastic stories here are endless. Can you give us an idea of your plans over the next few months building up to the tournament? Every few months we devote the entire week of our air to special coverage on the World Cup. We will be doing this next week. It gives us an opportunity to not only report on how South African plans are progressing, but through our extensive newsgathering operation to show how countries from Nigeria to the UK to England are already getting in the spirit of the games. We will continue to do this until the final whistle on the 11th of July - then our focus will move to Brazil. And the tournament itself? We will cover all aspects of the games - from the goals to the game-drives. CNN will be the place to go to for the sports highlights and team updates. But also on the traveling fans, the hosts and lighter side of this great event. Once the draw is finished on December 4, we will also have a better idea of what some of the great match-ups between old rivals and new will be. As always - just stay tuned. NOTE: 'South Africa 2010' World Cup theme week airs on CNN International on Thursday 15th October at 1430, 1830; Saturday 17th October at 0930, 1930 and 2200; Sunday 18th October at 0500 and 0930. more interviews...
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