The dilemma in reports about Malema

 Julius Malema's profile picture on his public Facebook profile

As a reporter it is "virtually impossible" to portray the character accurately of EFF party leader, Julius Malema, says Daily Maverick journalist Richard Poplak.

Yesterday Poplak spoke about the difficulties and the necessity of covering the 2014 election's "main protagonist" and his party, in a talk about political reporting at the University of Stellenbosch.

"I would say I would have an easier time direct calling Pope Francis than getting in touch with the spokesperson," the black bearded journalist joked.

Twenty-four journalist students, attentively listening to the bass-toned voice of the veteran journalist, giggled.

This following a question by one of the students, S'thembile Cele, on the largely negative lights in which mainstream media paint the EFF and their leader.

"Yes, a lot of the coverage has been dismissive. Yes, a lot of the coverage has been downright insulting, but I think it is a two way street.

According to Poplak the media cannot take blame "for a whole bunch of conclusions that seem very intuitive".

"Malema is a difficult character to cover. First of all, the EFF has done a bad job at sitting down with mainstream media.

"At press conferences he is great, but in terms of one-on-ones, where members of the press can get a sense of who Julius Malema is, most of the times that's happen for myself has been by fortunate accidents and I think that's on the EFF, certainly not on me. I've been trying to report this as best I can."

Amid Poplak's dialogue Cele interupts: "Is that not part of the game, in order for us to play into his hands? He is saying he is not white and that is how many black feel."

"For sure," Poplak declares. To many South Africans, including Malema, mainstream media is considered representative of white power, which provokes hostility.

"That said, once you do interact with the guy, you realise very quickly that he's just got a great political mind."

Malema is an "extremely compelling presence, unlike anyone I've seen ever"; "he has tapped into a very, very real need" of South Africans wanting to be heard and he speaks to the "taste of the times".

"If there's an take away from this election, it's how quickly and how profoundly the EFF came on the scene," says Poplak, who will be releasing a collection of his reports on the elections in a book titled When Malema comes.

"In terms of the fact that he's going to be a great politician that's going to bring us an utopian future where the whole country looks like downtown Stellenbosch? I can't tell you. The problem is I have no idea."