Reporting In China: The Olympics And Beyond

In just a few weeks, an estimated 20,000 journalists from around the world are expected to converge on Beijing to cover the 2008 Olympic Games. While China has promised safe and unrestricted reporting conditions for foreign journalists during the Games, some based in the city sense a recent upswing in anti-press sentiment following Western media scrutiny of China's Tibet policy and the protests that accompanied the Olympic torch relay.

Listen to the teleconference call (46mb mp3).

In light of their concerns, just how free will foreign journalists be? How can a reporter get beyond the headlines and press releases to tell the untold stories of the Olympics? How do journalists ensure that their coverage of the country itself is accurate and fair?

AAJA hosted a panel discussion focusing on the current climate for foreign journalists in China and offered practical, on-the-ground advice for those headed to Beijing next month. The teleconference session benefits journalists interested in working in China in the future.

AAJA member Richard Lui, anchor for CNN Headline News, moderated the call. Other speakers included: Philip P. Pan, former Beijing bureau chief for The Washington Post and author of the newly published book "Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China"; Ching-Ching Ni, Beijing correspondent for the Los Angeles Times; Mary Kay Magistad, Beijing-based North East Asia correspondent for Public Radio International; and Steve Wade, sports reporter for The Associated Press in Beijing

The panel discussion included Q&A with callers.