FCCC calls on China to ensure positive media legacy
25/08/2008The Foreign Correspondents Club of China has called upon the Chinese government to ensure a positive legacy in terms of media freedoms for the Beijing Olympics, after not living up to its promise that the media would be allowed complete freedom to report from China during the Beijing Olympics. Despite welcome progress in terms of accessibility and the number of press conferences within the Olympic facilities, the FCCC has documented at least 30 incidents of reporting interference, and is investigating a further 20.
Of the thirty cases of reporting interference, 10 involved physical violence, more than the total number confirmed in 2007 reports the FCCC. Additionally, there were 8 cases of damage to equipment or destruction of photos. The total number of reporting interference incidents between January 1 and August 20 is 152, just short of the figure for all of 2007, says the FCCC.
The FCCC notes some areas of progress by the Chinese government, including access to officials, lifting of restrictions on some websites, and instructions to police not to interfere in the work of journalists.
But much needs to be done, says the FCCC. The reporting rules enacted for the Olympics are only temporary and it remains uncertain what will happen when the regulations expire in October this year. Meanwhile, many areas of China, especially Tibet, remain blocked to journalists and sources are still harassed or imprisoned for talking to foreign journalists. Reporters too re often followed or stopped when they visit sensitive areas.
"The Chinese government failed to make the Olympic podium on media freedom," says Jonathan Watts, FCCC president. "But there is a basis to build on. Violence against journalists must end immediately and the authorities should take more steps towards transparency and openness. The legacy of the Games can still be a positive one."
Examples of reporting interference:
1) BEIJING: OFFICERS ROUGH UP AP PHOTOGRAPHERS, SEIZE MEMORY CARDS
Aug. 20, 2008 - Two Associated Press photographers attempting to cover an Olympics-timed protest were roughed up by plainclothes security officers, forced into cars and taken to a nearby building where they were questioned before being released, the news service reported.
Memory cards from their cameras were confiscated. The two were separately trying to find a planned protest by free Tibet supporters late Wednesday southwest of the Bird's Nest stadium. They arrived separately and each was set upon by people in civilian dress, apparently plainclothes state security agents or police. One was knocked to the ground, had his face pressed in the dirt, arm twisted behind his back and his cameras ripped from him. The other was tackled from behind, pushed to the ground, had his camera grabbed, all while being filmed.
They were forced into different unmarked cars, taken separately to an office a few blocks away, and held separately. Their photo cards were taken away. One was asked his views on Tibet. He was held for about 30-40 minutes before he was released. The other photographer was held for a similar length of time and then released.
2) BEIJING: POLICE BLOCK UK PHOTOGRAPHER, DAMAGE EQUIPMENT
August 13, 2008 - Police damaged the camera of Guardian photographer Dan Chung as they tried to prevent him taking pictures of the aftermath of a pro-Tibet protest at the Ethnic Minorities Culture Park near the Olympic Green. Police told Chung that neither his visible IOC accreditation nor the Olympic stickers on the equipment were of any of their concerns.
A man in yellow-and-red clothing first blocked Chung's lens while he tried to photograph the bicycles that the protesters had tried to use as a barricade. After police set up a cordon around the demonstration, Chung followed instructions and stayed behind the line. Chinese in civilian clothes photographed all journalists covering the demonstration None of the photographers present were detained, but they were prevented from doing their work.
He said the police broke the built-in flash on his Nikon camera as they jostled him. "This was bad policing," said Chung. "I mean, we stayed behind their line and still we were not allowed to do our work."
3) BEIJING: GERMAN CAMERAMAN KICKED BY 'OLYMPIC VOLUNTEERS'
Aug. 4, 2008 - When a crew for Germany's ARD television went to visit Zeng Jinyan, the wife of rights jailed human-rights activist Hu Jia, they were initially told by guards to wait at the entrance to the compound. Shortly after, four or five people wearing Olympic volunteer outfits, along with local residents, physically attacked the television crew. They pushed and kicked the cameraman, who suffered a bruise. The police arrived and the crew then left, unable to do their work.
4) KASHGAR, XINJIANG: POLICE DEMAND AFP PHOTOGRAPHER DELETE PHOTOS
August 4, 2008 - Police insisted on seeing and deleting photographs taken by an Agence France Presse photographer who was covering the killing of paramilitary police in Kashgar. The photographer, who was with two colleagues in a hotel room overlooking the site of the attack, was taking pictures from the window. When police saw this, they went with the hotel manager and a security guard to the room. They demanded to see the pictures and that they be erased.
*When groups of reporters from different media organizations travel together, and experience the same violation, the FCCC count one violation per news organization.
**Reporting interference" includes violence, destruction of journalistic materials, detention, harassment of sources and staff, interception of communications, denial of access to public areas, being questioned in an intimidating manner by authorities, being reprimanded officially, being followed, and being subjected to other obstacles not in keeping with international practices.
