China’s Olympic Press Freedom Pledges: Worthless in 2008, Absent in 2022

Prospects for free-wheeling media coverage of the February Beijing Winter Olympics seem increasingly dim, not least because of the attitude of the International Olympic Committee.

On October 13, John Coates, vice president of the International Olympic Committee, dismissed out of hand calls from CPJ, human rights groups, and US lawmakers to pressure Beijing over its abysmal human rights record.  

“We have no ability to go into a country and tell them what to do,” said Coates, as reported by Reuters. “All we can do is to award the Olympics to a country, under conditions set out in a host contract…and then ensure they are followed.” The IOC details a press accreditation process for up to 3,000 global reporters on its website, but does not reference their working conditions.

China’s mistreatment of journalists is a major feature of its human rights shortcomings, and has steadily worsened since 2008. In December 2020, CPJ documented at least 47 journalists behind bars in China, making it the worst jailer of journalists worldwide for the second year in a row; in 2008, there were 30. While most of  those incarcerated are Chinese citizens, Australian blogger Yang Hengjun has been held incommunicado since his arrest on espionage charges in August 2019. Cheng Lei, an anchor for state-run broadcaster CGTN who is also an Australian citizen, remains in detention since police arrested her in August 2020. Earlier this year, international journalists reported intense harassment and threats of violence while they were covering a deadly flooding in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province.

CPJ’s attempts to reach Chinese officials to request comment or action on these incidents are routinely ignored. But sporting events that offer a window into the host country can provide an incentive to improve human rights standards and its global image – at least in theory.

When the IOC announced in 2001 that it was awarding Beijing the 2008 Games, Chinese authorities assured the IOC that there would be “no restrictions” on media coverage, and that foreign journalists would be able to interview any organizations and individuals in China as long as they obtained the interviewee’s consent. Regulations issued by the state council that went into effect on January 1, 2007 seemingly offered freedom to report on all topics in every corner of the country; they subsequently expired, as CPJ noted at the time.

Chinese journalists, already facing more risks than their foreign counterparts, received separate directives from the Central Propaganda Department, ordering them to follow the party line while reporting on the sporting events.

Yet here’s how journalists fared in the run-up to the 2008 Games:  

With China having suffered no apparent negative consequences, either for reneging on commitments to the foreign press, or for punishing local reporters trying to shine a light on wrongdoing, improvements in 2022 seem highly unlikely. This is especially true in the COVID-19 era, where health and distancing regulations make it easier to control journalists’ movements.

In July 2021, journalists covering the Tokyo Olympics had to operate in an isolated “Olympic bubble” imposed by the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and were banned from interviewing people outside the Olympic village.

Working conditions for reporters covering Beijing 2022 look even bleaker, with new IOC rules requiring all participants to enter a “closed-loop management system,” a COVID-19 countermeasure that would limit their activity to Olympic venues.  The New York Times describes it as “a bubblelike environment in which athletes, officials, broadcasters, journalists and a large Games work force will be forced to eat, sleep, work and compete, without leaving, from the day they arrive to the moment they depart.”

Such a regime suits Chinese officials. A day after Coates made his comment, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian expressed his appreciation to the IOC vice president for saying the organization would not put political pressure on Beijing. “China is ready to work with the rest of the international community to oppose the politicization of sports (and) demonstrate the new Olympic spirit of being ‘together’,” said Zhao. For these Olympics, he clearly felt no need to follow up with hollow promises about press freedom.

 

Related news

Letter to FIFA Re. Human Rights Responsibilities in 2026 World Cup

Letter to FIFA Re. Human Rights Responsibilities in 2026 World Cup

Human Rights Watch Letter to FIFA May 5, 2025 Gianni InfantinoPresidentFédération Internationale de Football AssociationFIFA-Strasse 20, P.O. Box 8044 Zurich, Switzerland Subject: FIFA’s Human Rights Responsibilities in 2026 World Cup Dear Mr. Infantino, We write to express grave concerns about the impact of current United States immigration policies on the 2026 FIFA World Cup and […]

READ MORE

2024 Annual Report: From Vision to Action

2024 Annual Report: From Vision to Action

Reimagining the Future for Sport & Human Rights “The past year has shed a light on the critical impact that sport has on human rights and the true depth of the fight for equity, justice and transparency. Sport was put on check as global sport governing bodies were urged to demonstrate their commitment to human […]

READ MORE

Saudi Arabia: Migrant Domestic Workers Face Severe Exploitation, Racism and Exclusion from Labour Protections

Saudi Arabia: Migrant Domestic Workers Face Severe Exploitation, Racism and Exclusion from Labour Protections

Locked in, left out: the hidden lives of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia Kenyan women hired as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia endure gruelling, abusive and discriminatory working conditions, which often amount to forced labour and human trafficking, Amnesty International said in a new report. The report highlights how employers subjected the women to […]

READ MORE

Related resources

Video Series: “This is Not Part of the Game.”

Video Series: “This is Not Part of the Game.”

Exploring the research on violence in sports Watch the first of our three-part video series exploring scientific data on violence in sports: “This is Not Part of the Game.” Led by Dr Aurelie Pankowiak, postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Health & Sport at Victoria Universityand athlete survivor from France, this project aims to collate […]

READ MORE

Image shows the arms of six players wearing read jerseys and black sleeves huddled with their hands together.

FIFA: Recognize, Support Afghan Women’s Team in Exile

New Report Details Afghan Women Footballers’ Fight for Right to Play (Amsterdam, March 25, 2025) – The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) should act to stop the ongoing discrimination against Afghan women footballers living in exile and facilitate their return to international competition, the Sport & Rights Alliance said in a report released today. […]

READ MORE

Join the Network

Sport has the potential to be a catalyst for human development, unity, and freedom, but too often it instead brings harm to its athletes, fans, and communities. We exist to uncover and rectify the many abuses that exist both in and around sport. We aim to transform sports into an authentic force for good.