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Recent Blog Posts |
Olympic Propaganda Directive Denied, Despite PublicationBeijing Olympic officials are standing by their flat denial of the existence of a 21-point propaganda directive for Chinese journalists covering the Olympics, notwithstanding the publication of the purported text of the edict last week. "I can reiterate that there is no 21-point guideline for reporters in China to cover the games. That is according to what I asked the relevant authorities. And I think that's all I can say regarding the issue," the executive vice president and secretary-general of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, Wang Wei, said at a news briefing today, in response to a question from The New York Sun. The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post disclosed the alleged directive last Tuesday. Last Wednesday, Mr. Wang denied its existence for the first time. A day later, the Sydney Morning Herald and other Australian newspapers published the entire purported directive. Continue to full text of posting... By Josh Gerstein | Wed, 20 Aug 2008 at 6:26 AM | Permalink Sun's Olympic Urinals Story Flushed OutOther news outlets are beginning to jump on the New York Sun's big scoop two weeks ago about super-vigilant enforcers of Olympic sponsorship rules putting stickers over the brand names on urinals and other bathroom fixtures at the Main Press Center and other Olympic venues. The Sydney Morning Herald picked up the story this morning, complete with enterprising photos of the defaced appliances. And the item about the arguable excesses of policing against ambush marketing really hit the big time Monday when a reporter for Britain's Channel 4, Alex Thomson, used a news briefing to ask the International Olympic Committee's communications director, Giselle Davies, about the marketing practice. Mr. Thomson called using the press center's bathrooms a "peculiarly anonymous experience" because of all the visible brand names being covered up. "Thanks, Alex. You must have a lot of time on your hands," Ms. Davies replied. "I've been to the bathroom in this hotel actually, but I didn't notice any of that. So I'm going to have to double check it next time I use that private bathroom that I have the chance to use. I'll check it out."Continue to full text of posting... By Josh Gerstein | Mon, 18 Aug 2008 at 5:01 AM | Permalink Running Out the Clock on Protest Zones and MoreWith the Olympics now more than half over, it seems Chinese officials are intent on running out or at least running down the clock on long-standing press questions about "protest zones" as well as queries about why a Tibetan-American journalist was denied a visa to cover the Games. At a news briefing on Monday, attempts to get information about the number of applications made, granted, and denied for use use of the protest zones, once again struck out. "Sorry, I still have not got any answer but I have conveyed the questions to the relevant authorities," the secretary-general and executive vice president of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, Wang Wei, said. "This matter is completely that of the city and the government security matter." Mr. Wang did say he expects an answer soon, but with daily briefings for the press abruptly cancelled, the next scheduled session is Wednesday, just four days before the Olympics close. Continue to full text of posting... By Josh Gerstein | Mon, 18 Aug 2008 at 4:21 AM | Permalink "Gray Area" Questions to Athletes Shouldn't Be Censored, IOC SaysJournalists should not be barred from asking Olympic athletes questions which verge into a "gray zone" combining sport and politics, the director of communications for the International Olympic Committee, Giselle Davies, said at a briefing for reporters on Monday. "Clearly in this room and...in others there can be questions put which are in that gray zone. No one's trying here to have any form of censorship," Ms. Davies said in response to a question from The New York Sun. On Wednesday, with military conflict raging between Russia and Georgia, a moderator at a press conference for Judo champions announced that only "sport specific" questions could be put to the gold medal winner from Georgia, Irakli Tsirekidze. Journalists attempted to ask if Tsirekidze wanted to send a message "back home" with his victory, but the moderator, Felicity Byrnes, rejected the question. After some protest, the question was put to the athlete. A translator said Tsirekidze didn't want to answer, but later the Georgian said the win was important for his country "at this moment." Continue to full text of posting... By Josh Gerstein | Mon, 18 Aug 2008 at 3:02 AM | Permalink Phelps Meets the PressBEIJING--By my count, more than 50 television cameras were on hand as Michael Phelps came before the press Sunday afternoon to reflect on his record-breaking achievement of eight Gold medals in a single Olympics. "I'm not really sure what to say. It was fun," Phelps told the assmbled horde."I'm thankful everything turned out pretty much perfect.....This has been one of the greatest weeks of my life, if not the greatest." Phelps said he doesn't expect his record, which broke that of Mark Spitz in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, to stand forever. "Records are always made to be broken, no matter what they are," he said. He also said he wanted to be respectful to Spitz's record, which stood for 36 years. "I want to be the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz," Phelps said. "Never once will I downplay his accomplishment." Continue to full text of posting... By Josh Gerstein | Sun, 17 Aug 2008 at 2:41 AM | Permalink New Yorkers to Medal in Men's Fencing, May Snag GoldBEIJING--The American men's sabre fencing team, two thirds of which hails from New York, scored a come-from-behind win over Russia Sunday afternoon to proceed to the Gold medal match against France and to guarantee themselves at least a Silver medal here. In a semi-final match, Keeth Smart of Brooklyn, Tim Morehouse of the Bronx, and Jason Rogers of Los Angeles, came out strong against Russia in the first three bouts, racking up a lead of 15-9. However, in the next four bouts Russia overcame that deficit and left the Americans trailing, 28-35. Smart put the match away for the Americans in the final bout by scoring ten touches to Russia's four, winding up with a last-minute, 45-44 victory. Continue to full text of posting... By Josh Gerstein | Sun, 17 Aug 2008 at 1:08 AM | Permalink Phelps Does It!BEIJING--Super-swimmer Michael Phelps won his eighth Gold medal here moments ago, surpassing Mark Spitz's record from the 1972 Olympics. The U.S. men's 4x100 relay team came in at 3:29.34, just seven-tenths of a second ahead of Australia, which took the Silver. Japan won the Bronze. The other teams did not appear shy about trying to wrest the would-be record Gold from Phelps. While the American lead-off backstroke swimmer, Aaron Peirsol, touched the wall two-tenths of a second ahead of the Russian team, that lead was erased on the second leg where the American breaststroke swimmer, Brendan Hansen, fell to third place, about half a second behind Japan and a hair behind Australia. Continue to full text of posting... By Josh Gerstein | Sat, 16 Aug 2008 at 11:31 PM | Permalink Empire State Women Win Fencing SilverThree Empire State natives brought home the Silver for America today in women's foil fencing by upsetting teams from Hungary and Poland, but the U.S. squad missed out on the gold by falling to Russia tonight in Beijing. The medals for Emily Cross, 21, of Manhattan, Erinn Smart, 28, of Brooklyn, and Hanna Thompson, 24, of Rochester, are the first ever won by American women in Olympic foil fencing and the first for any American in an Olympic foil event since 1960. "Everything just clicked today," Cross told reporters tonight. "It's surreal," Smart said. "We worked very hard this year and we've been close to beating all these teams and we've always lost by one point or two points. And it finally came together today." Continue to full text of posting... By Josh Gerstein | Sat, 16 Aug 2008 at 12:31 PM | Permalink The Last LapThe last lap for the Olympic Torch was a memorable one. A Gold medalist in gymnastics, Li Ning, made the trip--"running" in the air, suspended about 150 feet above the stadium floor. At the end, Mr. Li put the torch to a track extending from the flame cauldron at the lip of the stadium's roof. After a moment's hesitation, the flame shot up the track and the Olympic Flame was lit. With that, and some thunderous fireworks, the big opening is over. Actually, as the athletes file out, there's a post-show with Jackie Chan among others. But I think we'll leave it there. By JOSH GERSTEIN | Fri, 8 Aug 2008 at 12:20 PM | Permalink Here's to President HuThree cheers for President Hu. He just delivered a one-line speech declaring the games of the 29the Olympiad (of the modern era, don't forget to add that) open. He deserves all our gratitude for keeping it short. The athletes who are now milling in the oval didn't seem riveted by the preceding speech by the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacuques Rogge. They were all moving around and taking pictures of each other as he spoke about the evils of doping and the need to respect the Olympic rules (which is to say no Tibet, Darfur or human rights demonstrations, please.) Looks like the program is about 30 minutes behind schedule. Kind of like the Oscars. By JOSH GERSTEIN | Fri, 8 Aug 2008 at 11:57 AM | Permalink 
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