The 2008 Beijing Olympics is a significant event in the relationship between China and the media. At the behest of the International Olympic Committee, for the first time in recent history foreign journalists have been granted the right to work freely without interference from Chinese authorities.

The regulations do not pertain to just the coverage of the Olympics, but to coverage of all events in China since January 2007 until October 2008. Whereas once the world relied upon snapshots of China, foreign journalists can now paint a fuller picture of the country with the assistance of academics, officials and ordinary citizens.

With these new freedoms, also come responsibilities for all parties involved. For the Chinese authorities, the challenge is to respect the more liberal media regulations and avoid restrictions and violations.

For foreign journalists, the Beijing Olympics will be a chance to demonstrate the true standards and social value of the profession they pursue and play a part in the long term progression of Chinese news media. In support of their Chinese colleagues, who do not enjoy the same full media freedom rights, journalists from abroad must strive to maintain journalistic principles of fairness, independence, honesty and responsibility.

These challenges were set out in the report of the IFJ on its mission to China organised in April 2008. The conclusions of that report are enclosed with this project description.

From a sports perspective, the Olympics presents an opportunity for journalists to report on the effect of not only the present mega-events and its political, economic, social, cultural and sporting legacies in China. Lessons learnt can be of benefit in the coverage of future mega events, and have the potential to strengthen best practices in the hosting of mega events.

All in all, the Olympics in Beijing is an outstanding opportunity to renew and strengthen the public dialogue between the Chinese people and the outside world, a prerequisite of improving the mutual understanding.