Virtual discussion on the “other issues” of reporting on sporting events
By Yvonne Oh, IPDGC Program Coordinator
With the FIFA 2022 World Cup kicking off in Qatar on November 20, the conversation was about if, and how, sports journalists covering the men’s world cup in Qatar should report on human rights. According to FIFA, the sport’s governing body, the World Cup in 2018 drew more than 3.5 billion viewers and the championship game was seen live by more than one billion people.
However, countries that host the tournament will draw attention as well – and not all of that is positive. This year’s tournament has raised questions about human rights in Qatar, and “sports washing” in general.
IPDGC collaborated with the Project on Ethics in Political Communication for a virtual discussion on the topic of the World Cup, Sports Journalism and Human Rights. Joining this conversation were international soccer journalist Grant Wahl and Prof. Neha Vora, an anthropologist with Lafayette College.
Moderating the event was Silvio Waisbord, the Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University.
Brief bios of the speakers:
Grant Wahl is one of the top soccer journalists in the US. His pre-World Cup writing includes the need to pay attention to the human toll of constructing the stadia, hotels and infrastructure the World Cup requires. He has covered World Cups for Sports Illustrated, CBS and Fox Sports. His books include The Beckham Experiment and Masters of Modern Soccer.
Prof. Neha Vora, is an anthropologist at Lafayette College. Her writing includes the books Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora; Teach for Arabia: American Universities, Liberalism, and Transnational Qatar; and Beyond Exception: New Interpretations of the Arabian Peninsula (co-authored with Ahmed Kanna and Amelie Le Renard).
