Free Speech & the Media
Apparently the athletes competing in the Olympics are barred from blogging. The International Olympic Committee has barred basically anyone directly involved in the olympics from blogging about their experiences until the games end August 29th. On top of not being allowed to blog about their experiences during the games, those involved are also not allowed to post video or images they have taken even after the games are over (unless given permission ahead of time). It seems the IOC believes that the “the interests of broadcast rightsholders and accredited media come first.”
This kind of crap really rubs me the wrong way. I find it extremely disheartening that the rights of the media companies are being given priority over the rights of the athletes themselves. The athletes are the reason everyone is at the Olympics, they are who the cameras are watching, they are the individuals who bring in tourism dollars and advirtising dollars.
NBC has other parts of the internet by the balls as well. BBC’s live coverage of the Olympics is off limits to American web surfers. I’m assuming this works both ways and that Brittish viewers are limited to BBC’s coverage (although I don’t know that for a fact). For any Brittish readers: don’t worry you aren’t missing much. I haven’t been real impressed by NBC’s coverage.
Why does this type of stuff make me mad? Honestly… I’m not really sure. I don’t know anyone in the Olympics, and I’m by no means a hardcore Olympics fan. I watch the occational event and am happy when the U.S. wins gold. I find the whole concept of the Olympic games pretty amazing and inspiring. Unfortunately I see it becoming more and more about money/products/advirtising than about athletic ability and compitition; this media rights crap is just another piece of that.
I guess what bothers me about this is that it just feels wrong. In a day in age, where technology makes all kinds of media and information accessible, ironically it’s the media/information industry which keeps it out of our hands and away from our eyes.
August 20th, 2004 at 2:18 pm
There really does seem to be a lot of rules and regulations around this. I don’t relate to most of it myself, given the prior incident of their hyperlinking policy. Hmmm. What bad could Carly Patterson blog about? It bemuses me, to say the least.
August 21st, 2004 at 10:56 am
So heres the comment for the week…money makes the world go ’round…and you better get out of the way if you are not a megaconglomo or NBC and be damned the people that they are covering.
August 21st, 2004 at 8:30 pm
Yeah I read about that too the other day. It rubbed me wrong too when I first heard about it. Basically they’re denied to share their experience (whether via text, image, or video) with well, whoever they please. It seems extreme to deny someone that and allow only “accredited media” the privelage. ;P
My first thoughts: “Well, that sucks.”
August 22nd, 2004 at 9:45 am
Just thought I’d add this article into the mix.
It just keeps getting better and better…