Coming to the point
The Korea Times, South Korea’s best know English language newspaper carried this story from its Johannesburg correspondent in its November 1 editions. I must confess, I nearly gave up reading after the first three paragraphs. No news here, I reckoned. But I persevered. Just as well. The writer had buried his lead right at the bottom of the piece:
Nevertheless, people tend to forget that the vast majority South Africans enjoy normal, peaceful lives. As anyone who has ever been to SA will tell you, the threat of crime should not stop anyone from coming here, least of all for an event as momentous as the World Cup, to which each and every South African is looking forward.
The optimism in the air is tangible. South Africa is hosting this event for a reason – because it deserves to, and because FIFA knows it will be a success. It´s time for the rest of the world to agree. See you there!
Why, one wonders, did the writer feel he had to leave this to end? I guess it’s part of the journalist’s DNA (I have it myself) to always see the glass half empty lest one be deemed by one’s colleagues (the only audience that matters) to have succumbed to someone’s marketing or propaganda.
