IOC To Decide Journalist Accreditation For '08 Beijing Games

Beijing Olympic Accreditation Center Deputy Dir Yang Minghui said that the IOC, not Chinese security departments, will have the “final say in approving the official accreditation for journalists” at the ’08 Beijing Olympics, according to Stephen Wade of the AP. Yang added that "even if applicants failed background checks, that decision could be overridden by the IOC." Yang: "In case there are disputes between the IOC and [BOCOG], local organizers will comply with the decision from the IOC." Chinese officials have "shown concern that political and religious opponents of China's communist government might enter the country posing as journalists." Wade notes dissident groups "have suggested that China is cracking down hard on visa applications, attempting to keep any potential protesters away from the Olympic venues." Yang said BOCOG "will be reviewing and examining the background of all the applicants so that we can eliminate those who will pose potential threats to the Olympic Games." However, Chinese officials earlier this month "denied widely published reports that a database was being kept on foreign journalists who plan to cover the Olympics" (AP, 11/27).

NEW MEDIA IMPACT: AROUND THE RINGS ran a four-part series examining the impact of new media on the Olympics. The series, which ran from November 22-25 on AroundTheRings.com, analyzed Web sites in part one, Subscriber Content in part two, Web 2.0, referring to user-generated content such as blogs, in part three and Activating for Beijing in part four (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 11/25).