New rules and empty promises

Less than two months before the Olympic celebrations kick off, China's promises about greater media freedom are looking dubiously empty.

Authorities may deserve a gold medal for their recovery efforts after the devastating earthquake in the Sichuan province last month, but their downfall, despite initial signs of increased freedom for journalists, are the new reporting directives and rules that they continue to spit out.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports this week that authorities have been obstructing foreign media from working in the towns and cities where angry parents are protesting about the earthquake-collapsed schools which killed thousands of children.

Its also been told about new rule for Chinese "fixers" who work for foreign media, and an official directive asking journalists to submit precise information about the stories they plan to cover in China. The journalists have to include a list of the places they want to visit and the people they want to interview, in order to obtain the sort of visa required by media arriving before the Games start.

Bordering on paranoia

RSF says:

" … "These measures, just two months ahead of the inauguration of the Beijing Games, are bordering on paranoia and are a long way from the One World, One Dream slogan. We urge the International Olympic Committee to put pressure on the government to rescind some of these provisions and to ensure that the international press can work freely in Sichuan." …"

The International Federation of Journalists has also denounced the ongoing restrictions faced by journalists reporting on the earthquake aftermath.

It says police have cordoned off Juyuan Middle School in Dujiangyan city preventing anyone from entering the site, and the Central Propaganda Department issued a directive ordering media not to run reports about the collapsed school buildings.

" … On June 3, police prevented journalists and photographers from Kyodo News Agency and Associated Press from reporting on a lawsuit filed by parents of students killed at the school. Around 280 students and teachers were killed when the school building collapsed …"

Coverage under threat

The restrictions and rules are spilling over to the broadcasters as well. TV networks with the rights to broadcast the Games have been "squaring off" with Chinese organisers over strict security which is threatening coverage.

" …"This is the greatest moment in their sporting history," (director of sport for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, John) Barton said. "They've built a stage on which they want to perform, but they are rather queasy about how it should be shown. …"

Time slipping away

China made some inspiring promises when it scored the right to host this year's Games, not least among them was the assurance that "there will be no restrictions on journalists in reporting on the Olympic Games". Time for action is fast running out.

Bob Dietz, from the Committee to Protect Journalists, reckons China shows no intention of meeting its promises of freeing up local or foreign media.

In The Huffington Post he writes that Chinese media is "arguably more restricted" now than it was when the country won the right to host the Olympics, and it's not realistic to expect much to change before the Games open in Beijing on August 8.

" … Back in 2001, when China beat out four other cities to host the Games, the Chinese specifically promised that "there will be no restrictions on journalists in reporting on the Olympic Games."

"There were plenty of skeptics at the time, but there was also reason to expect some significant improvement … a freer media in China by the time the Games rolled around looked like a possibility, though admittedly a long shot … The bet didn't pay off …"