Scandal at the Olympics?

Journalist is harassed by officials when they go live - what was really behind it

Created: 02/08/2022Updated: 02/08/2022 09:52

By: Andreas Knobloch

Saida Magee (left) reacts in shock to what happened at the Olympic Games.

© Screenshot NOS

A scandal at the Olympic Games in Beijing?

What was really behind the situation with the Dutch journalist.

Update from February 8, 9:10 a.m .:

There was a supposed scandal on the opening day of the Olympic Games.

On Dutch television, a reporter was pulled away by a Chinese official during a live broadcast, which then had to be interrupted and the IOC apologized afterwards.

Sjoerd den Daas was the name of the Dutchman who was affected.

journalist Georg Fahrion, who is on site, knows Daas well and describes how the situation should be classified.

Daas has lived in China for years, speaks Mandarin and spoke to officials in the local language when the situation seemed to be threatening to escalate.

But it shouldn't have been as bad as it seems at first glance.

"Let's go a little further, buddy," said an official to Daas, who is said to have replied: "Please wait a moment, I'm live right now." After the action, the situation is said to have calmed down quickly.

The officials were more overwhelmed than hostile.

The journalist was able to continue his broadcast from a nearby parking lot.

The Spiegel journalist writes: "Actually not such a big deal – if it hadn't been live."

Worse things have happened in the country, which ranks 177th out of 180 for press freedom, compared to other incidents.

The case of Daas only caused amusement among colleagues and it was a misunderstanding.

The

journalist does not defend the officials in any way, but puts such incidents into perspective with worse actions in the past.

Scandal at the Olympics: journalist is attacked by officials - presenter in the studio visibly shocked

First report from February 5

: Beijing – The Olympic Games in Beijing, China, caused a lot of criticism in advance.

The organizer is in the focus, especially from journalists, which could perhaps also explain such pictures from Dutch TV.

There, a journalist was dragged away from the camera by officials during a live broadcast of the NOS Olympics, even the lens is covered.

The studio presenter was visibly shocked.

In retrospect, the case is downplayed, especially the controversial IOC sees no problems in it.

The scene is described as "overzealous" and "unhappy".

Olympic scandal about live switching: IOC downplays incident

Despite the intervention of Chinese security forces in a live broadcast of the Dutch TV broadcaster NOS from Beijing, the IOC sees no fundamental problem for media freedom at the Winter Games.

“These were unfortunate circumstances, someone was overzealous.

These things happen," said Mark Adams, spokesman for the International Olympic Committee, on Saturday.

The IOC contacted NOS.

It is assured that all media representatives can continue their work unhindered within the closed corona bubble at the Olympics.

Adams pointed out that NOS reporter Sjoerd den Daas was able to report back from Beijing shortly after the incident in another live broadcast.

The journalist, who reports for the TV channel from China and East Asia, stationed himself near the Bird's Nest Stadium on Friday, where the opening took place.

Then you can see in the pictures how a uniformed man physically harassed Den Daas.

Shortly thereafter, another security guard holds his hand in front of the camera.

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Studio moderator Saida Maggé is initially shocked by the events before the switch to Beijing is canceled in consultation with the director.

Den Daas reports back later from a different position.

NOS editor-in-chief Marcel Gelauff was quoted as saying by the newspaper "Algemeen Dagblad" that the pictures would show painfully how press freedom is in China.

In the run-up to the games, the German biathlete Erik Lesser also caused a stir because he publicly criticized the IOC and its President Thomas Bach.

The conditions in the Chinese metropolis are also not ideal for winter sports enthusiasts.

Slopes and cross-country trails are artificially snowed, and anyone who tests positive for the corona virus is exposed to strange images, as a Swiss person shows.

In the 2021 Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, China ranks 177th out of 180 nations.

“We welcome the international media for coverage of the Olympic Games.

We protect their rights and accommodate them as much as possible," said Yan Jiarong, spokeswoman for the organizing committee, on Saturday.