Cheering in the press box
BEIJING -- It is a pretty hard and fast rule in the United States that if you have a seat in the press box, whatever rooting interest you have is kept to yourself, and that mostly works unless you happen to be in an SEC football press box.
That's what it's like here at the National Indoor Stadium where the Chinese women (or girls depending on whose birth certificates you believe) compete. On each completed somersault or double twisting layout there are oohs and aahs; and when each routine is completed, there are standing ovations and table-pounding galore in the press seats. Even when Yang Yilin finished her routine several seconds after her music stopped, the men and women in the Chinese section of the press box clapped and cheered.
The point of the no-cheering thing is to at least give the impression your story will be balanced. It will be interesting to read some of these stories. If I can find a translator.
After two rotations in the first subdivision, China, which has done balance beam and floor exercise, leads Romania, which has done vault and uneven bars, 123.800 to 118.175.
The United States will compete in the second of four subdivisions later this afternoon.
-- Diane Pucin
Related: While insisting there is no evidence that any underage gymnasts are participating in the Olympics, Bruno Grandi, president of FIG, the international governing body of gymnastics, said Saturday that a new licensing system will be instituted within the next year.
photo of teen Chinese gymnast Yang Yilin by How Hwee Young / EPA
u wanna talk about balanced reporting style? take a look at your own countries TV commentators first!! if u think courtesy and globalization really mean what they mean, your thinking is so ''straight forward'' and good luck to you.
Posted by: Chris | August 10, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Ah, Diane has hit upon what Americans are so great at: "giving the appearance of..." American reporters give the appearance of impartiality; meanwhile, for some reason, all the stories and close-ups of the Americans oddly seem like propaganda. Americans are great at being racist but not giving the appearance of it, being jerks while giving the appearance of being kind (HI HOW ARE YOU?!?!?!), etc.
Of course, as an American, you can't see what the rest of the world sees: US tv corresopndents and journalists hamming it up and cheering excitedly when America wins.
Because, apparently, that's the de facto. God forbid the Chinese actually vote for the Chinese.
That's a bias.
idiot.
Posted by: Raquel | August 12, 2008 at 03:41 PM