Control The Vertical, Horizontal And Other Plains

Michael Hedges January 26, 2022 Follow on Twitter

The media world, television in the modern age, has had its way shaping everything it touches. Sports events are the prominent example. All the necessary ingredients are available; action, celebrity and tons of money. Add a smack of youth-culture adoration to competitive zeal and the media world can’t get enough sports and sporting events.

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games get underway in just over a week. As with every other sports event taking place during the last two years coronavirus is playing a major role. There will be no fans in the stands for figure skating, ski jumping or ice hockey. Foreign sports broadcasters and publishers are under “the tightest restrictions ever,” noted the Washington Post (January 19). Beijing organizers, with the consent of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), have imposed a mandatory “bubble” keeping reporters and news crews as well as participants from mingling.

There will be less mingling on the diplomatic level. Governments of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Canada and Japan are not sending official representatives, either for human rights or health concerns. Also not attending is the Swiss Federal Council, citing coronavirus concerns, reported public broadcaster RTS (January 26). “Health restrictions applied by China would prevent substantial bilateral meetings or real contacts with Swiss athletes,” said the Federal Council statement. The IOC is headquartered in Switzerland.

Staffing has been altered for the Beijing Winter Olympics by several news organizations, including major rights holders. Subscription sports TV broadcaster Eurosport, subsidiary of Discovery, is promising hour upon hour coverage. Over 100 specialists and expert winter sport commentators have been hired, all of them reporting from the Cube studios in London. Discovery holds broadcast rights for all of Europe except the Russian Federation. Only half of its planned Norwegian and Swedish sports commentators will travel to Beijing. The company has sub-let rights to several national broadcasters, including Poland’s TVP, which is not sending reporters to Beijing.

US cable sports network ESPN is not sending reporters to China. “The safety of our employees is of utmost importance to us,” said executive vice president Norby Williamson, quoted by AP (January 20). “With the pandemic continuing to be a global threat, and with the COVID-related on-site restrictions in place for the Olympics that would make coverage very challenging, we felt that keeping our people home was the best decision for us.” ESPN has limited access to video from the Beijing Winter Olympics as US network NBC is the rights holder. In its story, AP pointed out it is sending 100 reporters.

NBC also cancelled plans to have commentators on site. “The announce teams for these Olympics, including figure skating, will be calling events from our Stamford facility due to COVID concerns,” said NBC Sports spokesperson Greg Hughes to USA Today (January 20). "We’ll still have a large presence on the ground in Beijing and our coverage of everything will be first rate as usual, but our plans are evolving by the day as they are for most media companies covering the Olympics.” US broadcaster Nexstar is sending reporters from several of its local TV stations, said Austin, Texas channel KXAN (January 25). German sports broadcasters and newspapers have announced no changes to their coverage plans. Serving hockey-mad fans Russian state TV will be in Beijing, certainly with president Vladimir V. Putin attending the opening ceremony.

“Assume that everything you do online will be monitored,” warned Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (January 11), recommending foreign media workers use disposable “burner” phones and laptops. “Any call made using a hotel landline or cell phone is not encrypted and can be intercepted. Assume your hotel room is under surveillance.” Participants and reporters are required to download to their mobile phones the MY2022 app, which collects a wide range of data points.

“It’s naive to think the pandemic hasn’t played right into China’s hands,” USA Today sports reporter Christine Brennan “They would have wanted to control us, anyway. This just gives them another excuse. China will be China.” Last week a Beijing organizing committee spokesperson warned that accreditations could be lifted for “any behavior or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially Chinese laws and regulations.”

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