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Journalists Banned From Using Smartphones At 2014 Sochi Olympics?
First time accepted submitter SlongNY writes in with a story that journalists may be banned from taking photos or videos with smartphones at the 2014 Olympics. "'Journalists using mobile phones to film athletes or spectators will be considered a serious violation and will result in cancellation of accreditation,' said Vasily Konov, head of the state-run R-Sport news agency, which controls accreditation at the games. According to Buzzfeed, Mr. Konov later denied that he had said the ban was in place. Radio Free Europe, however, also reported him as saying the same thing."
The Olympic Committee has been pushing for YEARS that they be the sole source of any information, media or other materials originating from the events. It's only a matter of time before they ban external reporters altogether and simply provide their own press releases throughout the days from their own staffers.
Don't park drunk, accidents cause people.
There's a difference between taking photos or video, and just posting text to social media. This sounds like a court type of thing, where cell phones are allowed but taking photos/video is not.
If independent footage comes out, R-sport doesn't get paid for it. Gotta have that cash.
Seems like they might be seeing what they can get away with on the international stage before the official rules come into public scrutiny.
In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
This has nothing to do specifically with smartphones... they aren't allowing any "non-professional" media recording devices for the media. They obviously can still tweet/text/call at the events. It's the same as telling your fast food employees not to take pictures of customers food in the back with their cell phones. If they pull put a professional camera it looks better and nobody would complain. This isn't news, move along...
in this particular instance, the policy maybe pushed by the Olympic committee to better sell ad-time.
NBC wants it taped delayed covage to have good ratings
Having lived through the 2010 games in Vancouver, I can fully believe this story. The corporations behind the Olympics answer to no-one, and respect only the laws that they create for themselves.
Local customs and laws, charters, and regulations are ignored or flouted without so much as a "Sorry," and the great armies of renta-cops rule the roost.
Three Squirrels
What can go wrong with a Russian occupied war zone 20km south in Abkhazia, 200 km from a civil war zone in Chechnya, in a country run by a KGB trained despot who hates homosexuals, with no phones, and no outside communications? Ought to be a real party.
an ill wind that blows no good
It's the host country's responsibility to ensure the billions of dollars in exclusivity rights' value is not diluted via unauhorized production.
Witness UK's 00 agents neck-snapping unauthorized shop owners within 200 miles of London who put "Enjoy the Olympics!" signs in their windows.
This is, after all, a private, commercial enterprise.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Was that your homework assignment for a rhetoric class or do you actually go around talking like that while people quietly wish you would go somewhere else?
I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
I have a solution to that... How about you do the event in a time zone closer to the audience with the most money? There are plenty of south American countries who would love to host the games.
On a serious note... If NBC wants exclusive coverage, they are going to have to outlaw all cameras and electronic devices except by credential reporters who have singed an NDA while strip searching the spectators to make sure nobody gets one in. Cell phone jammers might be a good idea too.
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
The only better nexus of "stuff people love to hate" would be the Olympics(tm, and don't you forget it!!) in the USA.
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
...except by credential reporters who have singed an NDA while strip searching the spectators...
Altogether now, key of E flat, ... "Proust in his first book wrote about wrote about, Proust in his first book wrote about...".
This is about money and without money the Olympics will not survive.
Look at it this way, the hosting country is signing on for the following:
1. Massive infrastructure build.
2. Massive security costs. Thanks PLO and others.
3. Massive costs for accommodations and food.
4. Massive costs for transportation.
Add all that together and then realize that it all has to be recouped within the few weeks of the Olympics. It is easy to see why the IOC is very watchful of people infringing on their income streams. If you want the Olympics to continue the broadcast rights need to be worth paying for.
TFA states that journalists can still use proper photography gear. This is likely to expand the loop between shooting and publishing so it can go through channels, which is kinda censorship-ish and creepy.
Although, this quote then makes absolutely no sense:
"Organizers won't be able to have any effect on normal spectators, but supporters will be banned from bringing reflex cameras and nonprofessional equipment to the competitions," Konov added.
"Reflex" cameras, as he calls them, are DSLRs (Digital Single Lens REFLEX), which *are* professional equipment, so methinks he doesn't know what he's talking about.
Assuming he got his jargon wrong and DSLRs are allowed, I do like the unintended consequence of increasing the overall artistic and technical quality of the photography. Smartphone cameras are shit.
Steve Mann should not go to Sochi.
signature is pants
Russia's probably worried that gay people will use their smartphones to hook up with all the gay Russian athletes.
It's kind of interesting to see such a large and relatively modern society lose it's collective mind over gay people.
You are welcome on my lawn.
You get your wish: Rio is hosting the next summer games.
(I'm not entirely sure there's any city in South America large, snowy and mountainous enough to be suited to host the winter games... they mostly seem to be too warm or too flat. Santiago, Chile seems like the only one that might qualify.)
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
You get your wish: Rio is hosting the next summer games.
Let's see how they handle the world cup before we leap for joy at them having the Olympics. It's not a foregone conclusion that the cup will run anything near smoothly.
they mostly seem to be too warm or too flat.
Well, what with global climate change, the winter Olympics are going to have to add a whole bunch of snow-free sports if they are going to continue anyway. That's a boon to all those already hot countries -- they can now bid for the winter games, and snowbound ones like Antarctica can host the summer ones.
Americans? Olympics have been a propaganda event at least since 1936.
If you like sports, practice them, with the least amount of money involved, preferably. All the rest is fluff.
---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
I care as little about the coverage as I care about "reality TV".
It's a giant expensive distraction for the sheeple and best ignored.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
You're right. They are held every other year. Summer Olympics were just last year, so if the GP had seen them, it would have been within the "years" timeframe.
If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
Seriously, these people are so full of themselves.
Wake me up when someplace civilized is hosting.
The organizers have obviously never heard of wifi-equipped SD cards. Or smartwatches taking photos. Or... the list goes on. It's pathetic and laughable.
Does anybody really watch the Olympics anymore?
Journalists that don't have a reporting permit for the gear they bring, including amateur *and* pro gear, will be kicked out and lose their permits for the rest of the event. Athletes and athlete helper staff will not be allowed to record anything at all, even for study/training/re-evaluation purposes. Anyone caught recording "behind the scenes" stuff will be kicked out as well. This is total censorship for anyone that has a chance to be in places other than the public stands.
I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?
Athletes and helpers are also blocked from using any equipment to record even their own performance for re-evaluation purposes.
I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?
Or maybe NBC shouldn't spoil the results of the tape-delayed event that they're promoting.
This is a wet dream come true for both the IOC and the Russians. Significantly reducing the likelihood of amateur video catching anybody doing stuff they're not supposed to is a major victory for these hosers.
You'd be surprised how few people actually give a shit about the Olympics anymore
Quietly wish he would go away? I actively sneeze at them and pretend I couldn't get my hand in front of my mouth fast enough...
The IOC and Russia are a perfect match. No freedom of the press and endemic corruption.
In Soviet Russia, games watch you!
www.shortman.com.au - top shorted stocks on the ASX
And have lots of commercials! IIRC, BBC and others didn't have them?
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
I have not watched the games since I was ~15. That's 25 years of no-olympics for me. To me this means one thing: They are totally failing.
At this point I am so detached from the whole thing that I no longer care about it.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... time... to... die...