NBC vows Winter Olympics coverage in China will include 'geopolitical context' following outcry from lawmakers
Lawmakers sent a letter to NBC's top brass urging the network to cover the human rights protests in China
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NBC vows to provide "geopolitical context" in its coverage of the Winter Olympics next month, which are being held in Beijing, China.
Last week, a group of lawmakers sent a letter to NBC's top brass urging them to put a spotlight on human rights protests as China is expected to propagandize the Olympic Games.
NBC Olympics Production president and executive producer Molly Solomon is now insisting the Peacock network will include appropriate coverage of China's role in the world and the abuses taking place under its oppressive government.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are going to be focusing on telling the stories of Team USA and covering the competition," Solomon said Wednesday. "We understand that there are some difficult issues regarding the host nation, so our coverage will provide perspective on China's place in the world and the geopolitical context in which these Games are being held. But the athletes do remain the centerpiece of our coverage."
Protesters hold protest posters during a protest against Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics by activists of the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. (Jean-Guy Python/Keystone via AP)
Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., who spearheaded the letter to NBC, took a victory lap on Twitter.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Last week, I called on NBCUniversal to broadcast all human rights protests during the Winter Olympics in China. Today they announced they will cover these critical events, a major victory for human rights worldwide," she tweeted.
In the letter to NBC CEO Jeff Shell and NBC Olympics President Gary Zenkel, Wagner and 29 of her colleagues warned the network of likely efforts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to silence dissidents as the world tunes in to the Olympic Games.
,"We remain gravely concerned that the PRC will use the event as a platform to disseminate propaganda and distract from its egregious human rights abuses, including its ongoing genocide against Uyghur Muslims," the lawmakers wrote. "While we still believe that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should revoke the PRC's hosting privileges, in the event that the Olympics proceed as planned, honest and transparent coverage will help the international community defend persecuted groups like Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kong residents, Falun Gong practitioners, Christians, and human rights advocates."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}OLYMPIC CORPORATE PARTNER ‘PROUD’ OF SPONSORSHIP DESPITE CHINA'S TREATMENT OF UYGHURS
The lawmakers pointed to a "sharp upswing in human rights abuses" that were linked to the 2008 Olympics also hosted in Beijing, calling it a "tragedy" that the Olympic Games "can be repurposed as propaganda tools for authoritarian governments."
Skaters compete during the Speed Skating China Open, a test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics, at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. The venue will host speed skating competition at the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
They called for "full and transparent" coverage of PRC's human rights violations and cited the disappearance of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who had accused a former top official of sexual assault and was forced to retract her claim, and how "only pressure from the international community" convinced the PRC to show proof of her safety.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The IOC has already indicated it will continue to amplify PRC propaganda during the games: it has actively collaborated with the PRC's attempts to silence Peng Shuai and repeatedly indicated that will prioritize ‘respect [for] the sovereignty’ of host countries, a talking point long used by the CCP to dismiss any criticism of its human rights record," the lawmakers stated. "In the absence of real action from the IOC, international media has a responsibility to shine a light on the human rights abuses perpetrated by the PRC."
"Given the PRC's demonstrated willingness to coerce foreign media into toeing the party line, the 2022 Winter Olympics have the potential to serve as a propaganda victory fo the People's Republic of China if media entities do not stand up to its bullying … Amplifying the voices of courageous human rights advocates is an appropriate way to honor the sacrifices and achievements of American athletes, who have worked their entire lives to represent their country at the Olympic Games," the lawmakers added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Peacock Network to mention that Robert F. Smith is caught up in one of the largest tax fraud cases in the history of the United States.
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The letter was signed by 28 Republicans and two Democrats in the House.