Whether the media work can run smoothly during the Olympic Games is one of the important criteria for evaluating the success of an Olympic Games. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Xu Jicheng, as a witness to the media operation work, witnessed a media event that has gone down in history, and now as the director of the Media Operation Department of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, he is facing a new topic - how to provide a high level of protection and service for media from all over the world during the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and in closed-loop management?
Xu Jicheng spoke at the news conference. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Chenlin
What is the value of media for the Beijing Winter Olympics?
The media is the largest customer group for the Beijing Winter Olympics outside of athletes. Xu Jicheng introduced that the Beijing Winter Olympics set the highest media quota in the history of the Winter Olympics, and the total number of broadcasters, text and photojournalists was 15,000. Affected by the epidemic, this number is expected to be between 10,000 and 11,000.
"How high the media value of the Winter Olympics is, I can tell you a number, in fact, a Winter Olympics athletes do not exceed 3,000 people, generally 2,700 people, you think about the 2,700 athletes behind more than 10,000 reporters chasing, so (Beijing) Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics, is also a huge event for the media to spread the Olympic spirit, spread the style of the host city, and spread the charm of sports." Xu Jicheng said in an exclusive interview with a Xinhua reporter.
Exterior view of the main media center taken on January 10. Photo by Xu Zijian, Xinhua News Agency
After years of preparation, the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee has created a set of Service Guarantee Measures for the Olympic Games, including first-class facilities, advanced technology and information systems, convenient transportation and intimate accommodation. Within the closed loop, the main media center for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games set up for registered journalists has now entered the closed-loop management of the game, and it is expected to receive about 5,000-6,000 registered text, photojournalists and rights holders every day when they arrive at the game.
Closed-loop management is the biggest difference between the media operation of the Beijing Winter Olympics and the past, and Xu Jicheng made an analogy for this. "With this closed loop, everyone is like wearing a raincoat, of course, wearing a raincoat is always a little inconvenient, but it ensures that you can do the Winter Olympics well in the rain, that is, under the conditions of the epidemic."
See the real chapter for details of epidemic prevention
After the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee exchanged views with the International Olympic Committee, the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee and the International Individual Sports Association on the operation of the media, and Xu Jicheng said that all parties believe that Tokyo is a successful event, but the details can be deepened.
A transportation shuttle bus stop photographed outside the main media center on January 10. Photo by Xu Zijian, Xinhua News Agency
"For example, the problem of shuttle bus arrangement, there are many reporters in the Tokyo Olympics who are in a hurry and do not comply with the separation of seats after getting on the bus." Xu Jicheng said, "We have re-made a traffic plan to ensure that if each car has 50 seats, it will leave at 50% of the seating rate, and the cars behind will be replenished at any time, so that reporters (in the waiting area) will not stay too long." ”
"There are also high-demand events where photojournalists are more concentrated, in the photojournalist seat at the Beijing Winter Olympics, every other seat is pre-pasted with nylon bandages, and a cover is used to cover the seat, reminding everyone to be spaced, as long as the interval is done, do a good job of wearing N95 masks, which can greatly reduce the infection rate and the number of people who are closely connected."
Anti-epidemic and disinfection supplies photographed in the main media center on January 10. Photo by Xu Zijian, Xinhua News Agency
Xu Jicheng believes: "The Olympic Games in Tokyo and Beijing provide a model and better reference for future human beings to hold large-scale sports events under the epidemic. ”
Open the Winter Olympic Village to spread the Olympic spirit
Samaranch Jr., Chairman of the Coordination Committee of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, said at the 2020 World Broadcasters Conference of the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games: "No matter how wonderful the Olympic Games are, without broadcasters, it is impossible to achieve the spread of the Olympic spirit." ”
Night view of Zhangjiakou Winter Olympic Village. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Haoyuan
Although the implementation of strict closed-loop management, the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee has been committed to providing media journalists with closed-loop work convenience as much as possible, and the opening of the Winter Olympic Village is one of the highlights. "In fact, the Olympic Village is one of the most important sources of information for journalists under closed-loop conditions, and it is also a resource for the value of reporting interviews."
Xu Jicheng said: "Regarding the interview, we and the IOC focused on two things, the Olympic Village and the mixed area after the Game, we tried such as separation, baffle, and online, but everyone finally unified understanding is that athletes and journalists must face to face, because only face to face, can best reflect the Olympic Games' sense of presence and the authenticity of the news." All in all, we must make sure that through the efforts of journalists and professional dissemination, the spirit of the Olympic Games and the style of athletes can be better promoted. ”
A staff member walked past the media lounge on the second floor of the main media center. Photo by Xu Zijian, Xinhua News Agency
In addition to the Olympic Village and mixed procurement, the media can also invite athletes to the main media center for interviews by special car, and the media operation department has made a special safe passage for athletes in the main media center, so that they can reach the offices and interview rooms of various media.
"All these details have been formulated to highlight the fact that we want to focus on athletes and show this Olympic spirit and style represented by athletes to more sports fans." Xu Jicheng said.
Reporters Wang Haoyu, Zhan Peng, Lu Yuchen and Niu Mengtong