(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Suofen Chen is critical of the Norwegian Journalist Team's contribution to the handbook "The legacy of the Olympics in 2008" which was distributed to Norwegian journalists in order to have them focus on human rights violations in their Olympic coverage.
- I think NJ is an organization that should make sure that Norwegian press freedom is maintained, not tell journalists what to write about. The Norwegian Journalists' Association does the same here as they criticize China for. They do not have state power, but strong organizational power, she says.
The handbook was published in collaboration with Pen and Amnesty International ahead of the Olympics, to train Norwegian journalists in human rights and freedom of the press in China. "The Beijing Summer Olympics are an opportunity for Norwegian media to also show the back of the medal," says NJ's website, where the manual can be downloaded.
- It is completely legitimate that Amnesty is involved in this. What I react to is that the Norwegian Journalists' Team participates in such a campaign, says Chen who believes that Norwegian journalists were influenced to write negatively from the Olympics.
- I reacted to one-sided coverage and prejudice among Norwegian journalists. They presented a distorted picture of China, which China connoisseurs do not recognize. China has developed rapidly on all fronts over the past 30 years, while NJ stands still and refuses to acknowledge the development that the Chinese themselves value, she says.
"The reports in Norwegian media about the Beijing Olympics have been campaign-driven and largely in line with the intent of the handbook," she wrote in a debate post in Dagbladet last week.
Chen says that Aftenposten would not press the debate post, while NJ did not post a debate program in NRK.
- It shows that the press here has only one voice. It is worrying that no journalists have questioned NJ's participation in such a campaign, she says.
- Reader storm against Norwegian journalists
Kjetil Haanes, deputy leader and international director in NJ, says the organization did not go too far in encouraging Norwegian journalists to China criticism.
- It is of course completely wrong that we can instruct journalists and have used our power for that. We never interfere with what is written. On the other hand, the Chinese authorities had 21 directives on things that Chinese journalists were not allowed to write about. This shows that there is reason to focus on freedom of expression as a trade union, he says.
Norwegian journalists who have mentioned negative conditions in China, have recently been exposed to a storm of readers from some in the Chinese environment, according to Haanes.
- Journalists who have written critically have received a lot of text messages and emails from Chinese in Norway. This shows that many Chinese are not used to making critical articles, he says.
- It's just nonsense. We are so used to reading about both positive and negative sides of China. First and foremost, we want true, unbiased and informative reports in the Norwegian media, says Suofen Chen.
Seeing only problems, not progress
Many Norwegian-Chinese reacted to the fact that the coverage of China in the Norwegian media became more negative ahead of the Olympics, according to Yuqi Chen, who is a member of Chinese Professionals in Norway and has lived in Norway for 20 years.
- Norwegian media focus very much on problems instead of progress. I feel that you have to create an overall picture when reporting, he says.
He mentions an Aftenposten report where the living and training conditions for Chinese kung fu students were discussed with the title "Heroes' Hell".
- Aftenposten reported that athletes got bad food and had a bad time. But if you are going to criticize human rights, this case is just nonsense. They used small things to criticize a big topic, he says.
- There has been great progress when it comes to freedom of expression in China. But many Norwegian journalists do not read Chinese, so they do not get it. They only read the state-controlled Chinese newspapers in English.
Spokesman Yuen Ya Ming from the Norwegian Chinese Association is more positive about Norwegian Olympic coverage. He believes many journalists came with well-founded criticism of China.
- During the Olympics, Norwegian media coverage was very good, but before the Olympics it was too one-sided. Chinese authorities have to endure criticism, but if you only look at the negative sides, you are drawing a picture that is wrong. China has done a lot that is not good, but journalists must cover both sides, he says.
Kjetil Haanes says NJ will continue to be committed to freedom of expression until the Winter Olympics in Russia in 2014.
- We have already discussed making a digging group ahead of the Olympics in Sochi, he says.
