IOC Feels Media Heat on Internet Restrictions

It has been report by Reuters, in a story by Karolos Grohmann that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Saturday faced mounting questions over Internet censorship, days before the Beijing Games, despite earlier pledges that its use would be unfettered.

While China has allowed access to some websites that were blocked earlier in the week, many sites still remain inaccessible to reporters covering the Beijing Olympics that start on Aug. 8. On Friday the IOC had said the issue had been resolved.

Read the article here.

I expected this kind of mess from the ChiComs, but it seems that the IOC is a enabler by allowing this to happen. They knew the ChiComs would pull this crap and they are allwoing them to do as they please.

Let's see what else comes out of Beijing.

"I wanted no part of politics. And I wasn't in Berlin to compete against any one athlete. The purpose of the Olympics, anyway, was to do your best. As I'd learned long ago from Charles Riley, the only victory that counts is the one over yourself." - Jesse Owens

China to Censor Internet for Foreign Media

China will censor the Internet used by foreign media during the Olympics, an organising committee official confirmed Wednesday, reversing a pledge to offer complete media freedom at the Games.

"During the Olympic Games we will provide sufficient access to the Internet for reporters," said Sun Weide, spokesman for the organising committee.

He confirmed, however, that journalists would not be able to access information or websites connected to the Falungong spiritual movement which is banned in China.

Other sites were also unavailable to journalists, he said, without specifying which ones.

This does not surprise me. China wants to limit all negative or questional media leaving the country during the Games. I do expect some censored media reports will slip out ,as journalists, bloggers, and the such have ways of getting around firewalls.

"Censorship in any form is the enemy of creativity, since it cuts off the life blood of creativity: ideas." - Allan Jenkins