CNN Publishes Sponsored Article by Chinese State Media Promoting Olympics
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CNN published a sponsored article by Chinese state media outlet Xinhua News Agency promoting the Beijing Olympics, a dissonant move as the country has come under fire for human rights violations among other controversies.
The piece, published on a “Sponsored Content” section of CNN’s website and headlined “A Winter Sporting Event like No Other,” casts the winter games in a decidedly positive light — a contrast to CNN’s news coverage of the games and their host.
“The 2022 winter games in Beijing will provide a stage for the world’s top winter sports athletes and highlight China’s efforts to host a safe, sustainable global-scale event,” the sub-hed of the piece reads.
China is known as a world-leading polluter. What’s more, its coronavirus infection and death reporting has come under heavy scrutiny, given the criticism that the Chinese Communist Party, which controls the flow of data inside the country, has not been straightforward when it comes to the pandemic.
The Xinhua piece also touted the environmentally-friendly infrastructure it set up for the Olympics.
China unveiled a brand new, state-of-the-art Fuxing bullet train to serve the games earlier this year. New materials and technologies, including an eagle-shaped nose chosen from over 40 designs, ensure the train has lower wind resistance and reduced weight. These traits make it 10% more energy-efficient than previous models.
The train connecting Beijing with Zhangjiakou reaches a top speed of 350km per hour. It also has a 5G live broadcast studio on board designed to offer convenience to international media covering the games.
The article also noted the strict coronavirus measures taken surrounding the Games.
The event is, of course, unique in that it will be the first winter games held amidst an ongoing global pandemic. A range of strict protocols is in place to ensure the safety of competitors, international media dignitaries, and spectators.
Beijing will implement a “closed-loop” system of hotels and sports venues linked by special buses and trains to separate participants within a bubble and prevent coronavirus spread.
Spectators will be allowed to only clap to support athletes, while event personnel and support staff cannot leave games venues for any social reason.
Unsurprisingly, the article did not mention that the Olympics was being held amid allegations that China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs, oppressing the people of Tibet, suppressing dissent in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the country, and threatening Taiwan.
Those are all points that have been made by CNN journalists, most notably anchor Jake Tapper.
While the sponsored article can be found on Google, it does not appear to be accessible via CNN’s website. CNN did not respond to requests for comment regarding the publication of the Xinhua article.
