A tad off topic, but it touches on problems the media may have covering next years' Olympics.
Fred Waterer
China denies media watchdog's charges
Beijing says it welcomes reporters to cover Games in 'fair and objective' way
Dec 04, 2007 10:55 AM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING – China said Tuesday it welcomes journalists covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics, responding to complaints by a media rights group that the Communist regime has decided to clamp down on reporting in the run-up to the Games.
In an open letter last week, Reporters Without Borders cited "disturbing reports" about the way Chinese authorities are planning to deal with the tens of thousands of journalists expected to attend the Aug. 8-24 Games in Beijing, including plans to compile files on them and reserving the right to turn them back even if they were accredited by national Olympic committees.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the Paris-based group has launched "consistent attacks on China" and reiterated that Beijing was "willing to provide services and facilitate" coverage.
"The Chinese government and its people sincerely welcome reporters from around the world to cover the Olympic Games and cover China in a fair and objective way," Qin told reporters at a regular briefing. "This position will not change."
The Olympics are a huge source of national pride for China and authorities have taken great pains to make sure nothing mars Beijing's image.
Chinese officials last month denied widely published reports that a database was being kept on foreign journalists who plan to cover the Olympics, an issue that raised questions about the country's pledge of increased media freedom – part of a successful campaign in landing the Games six years ago.
"It is becoming clearer and clearer that the organizers of the Beijing Olympics and the Chinese security apparatus have decided to control journalists very closely before and during the games," Robert Menard, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders, said in the letter.
Addressed to Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympics Committee, the group also complained that the IOC has remained silent on the issue.
In response, the IOC said it expects Chinese authorities to give the media full freedom to report.
"The IOC believes in the good will of the Chinese to deliver the necessary environment for the 20,000 accredited media who will come for the games," IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said last week.
The IOC also said it is standard procedure at all Olympics for accredited personnel to receive a background check by local security authorities.
Rogge has stressed that the IOC is a sports not a political or government organization, and is not in a position to change Chinese policy on human rights or other political issues.
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/282379
(Source: Fred Waterer via ODXA)
