World media coverage during World Cup in Brazil

World Today

With less than two days to go before the start of the World Cup, Brazil’s sports minister has urged international news organization not to exaggerate the country’s problems. Stephen Gibbs reports from Rio de Janeiro.

World media coverage during World Cup in Brazil

With less than two days to go before the start of the World Cup, Brazil's sports minister has urged international news organization not to exaggerate the country's problems. Stephen Gibbs reports from Rio de Janeiro.

Since last year, Brazil has been hit by protests against the country’s poor public services, and the high cost of the games.

On Rio Copacabana’s beach, an exhibit appears. It may look like art, but really it’s a protest, using balls with crosses. The crosses symbolize the crime rate in Brazil, which is currently at half a million murders in the last ten years.

The organizer of the display is one of many Brazilians who is vehemently against the World Cup, Antonio Costa. Within hours of the exhibit appearing, there was no shortage of interest from international news crews, hungry for a story.

With at least twenty thousand journalists in Brazil to cover the World Cup, the government here is getting used to the fact that there is an upside and a downside to all this attention.

Public sector workers could be seen outside a press conference on Monday by Brazil’s sports minister. They are currently on strike over low pay. Inside the conference, the minister accepted that not all the images to be broadcast from Brazil over the next month will be flattering.

Keeping their distance from all the controversy are the 32 teams preparing for their opening matches. England took some time out from training to practice some Brazilian moves. Over the next month, the teams might get a glimpse of those that oppose this tournament. However, most of the time, they will be kept far apart.