The media gathered in advance of the Beijing Games generated a lot of heat over the lack of access to certain internet sites and there was understandable satisfaction as some of the restrictions were lifted on Friday.
Sites that were blocked, like those of Amnesty International and the BBC’s Chinese language pages, are now accessible, although others remain unavailable.
I know that what has upset media people so much is the principle rather than the practical effects, which would have been negligible. Large news organisations can find ways to get round the bans, while anyone can pick up a phone and get someone back in the office to check a page for them.
Yes, it was wrong to get the sites blocked for journalists. Yes, it was right to get those restrictions lifted. But surely this all misses the point, which is that hundreds of millions of Chinese internet users are still denied access to these and many other sites.
Take this quote from the Human Rights Watch reporters’ guide to covering the Olympics: “China’s system of internet censorship and surveillance, popularly known as the ‘Great Firewall’, is the most advanced in the world.”
Isn’t that more concerning?
UPDATE, Aug 3: Jacques Rogge said last night the IOC may have been naive in expecting China to allow free access to the internet, even for the media. This row is likely to rumble on at least until the Games actually start and I hope there’s a wider debate once they’re finished. On that subject, this editorial on Around the Rings is worth a look:
- It remains to be seen if the restrictions will fall completely. And more important than the needs of journalists is the question of whether this new policy will open the web to all of China after the Games conclude? That could be a legacy far more valuable than stadiums and improved infrastructure.
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11 comments so far
Its those cheap Walmart prices for those shiny things we all just can’t live without is what blinds the world to the fact that after all CHINA IS A COMMUNIST COUNTRY.
The world has sold out for cheap shiny baubles.
- Posted by NealShort, and straight to the point. Very well written.
Are me and you (and the people at unmadeinchina) the only ones taking into account that 1 billion people? Quite hard to believe, but… Where are all the others?
Let’s make our voices heard. These are not days for subheading.
- Posted by AJKPosts like these only serve the self-gratification of racists, evil cultists (read Falungong), bigots, purveyors of hatred and all things satanic. China today has been the largest producer of Bibles with ever growing number of Christians. See http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/204883.aspx. Pls wake up!!
- Posted by J GunderI find the censorship issue more of a nuisance than anything else. By blocking certain websites, other legitimate sites get blocked. Yes, there are ways to get around the blocks, but again it is just a hassle.
- Posted by MikeIOC Press chief Kevan Gosper is feeling a little “damaged” at the moment. He was caught squarely between the 20,000 journalists who remember being promised open access, and the thuggish attitude of the 200,000 security-strong security cordon there to stop them. Thats what happens when you make false promises, Kevan.
- Posted by Sean LI am annoyed by the great firewall. I have a travel site that I was hoping to update with lots of Beijing content as I spend the next month in the Chinese capital.
My site at http://www.cheapflightscruises.com seems to have been caught up in the filtering. Don’t know why as it is just a travel site. Perhaps I am sharing a server with some site that offends.
- Posted by RobThe fact is that, no matter what Human Rights Watch say, using an anonymous proxy site such as youhide, one can easily access blocked sites in China. Still it’s kind of amazing that today I can type in the navigation bar amnestyinternational.org and a page is loaded for me.
What’s more concerning is how the general media is totally controlled by the government, that’s where most people in China get their info. It’s shocking how gullible people can be in terms of believing what’s been fed to them. The way I see it, the education system is designed to build a nation of unquestioning sheep. There is no room for analytical thought. But perhaps that’s true the world over…
- Posted by r*n*toThe fact is that Red China promised free and open access to Reporters. Not only on the Web, but throughout the Communist Dictatorship. The decision makers within the IOC are either fools of corrupt. They should all be forced to resign. Any agreement with the old men of Beijing is worthless unless you are agreeing to stand aside while they brutally repress any semblance of Religious and political freedom.
- Posted by Michael WilkinThe IOC is even more useless than the United Nations. If that is possible.
- Posted by Michael WilkinI’ve update the piece above after Jacques Rogge’s press conference last night, and linked to an op ed piece on Around the Rings. It’s a very interesting read and I’d urge everyone to take a look.
- Posted by Kevin FylanThis blog is correct in highlighting that the most important issue is not whether foreign journalists can access the internet without undue censorship, but whether the people of China can? The real test will be to see what progress is made after the Games end - whether the new regulations for foreign journalists are extended after 17 October [seems likley, though better implemnetation is needed], and whether some sites that have become unblocked in recent months [e.g. BBC English language site] remain unblocked.
If you are interested in the issue of censorship in China I recommend you check out http://www.thechinadebate, an Amnesty International site specifically designed for discussion on human rights in China and the impact of the Olympics.
- Posted by Robert Godden