NBC is Olympics Central. We’ve all been on pins and needles wondering how the respected news network would walk the delicate line between sports commentary and acknowledgment that China is a human-rights hellhole.
According to Reuters, NBC’s struck a pretty darn good balance:
NBC said it would cover the geopolitical context of the Beijing Olympics, and it certainly did that this morning
China's alleged human rights abuses and the Russia/Ukraine conflict were thoroughly examined during the opening ceremony https://t.co/V5JrsmQ9KZ w/@hcoster @DawnC331
— Sheila Dang (@Sheila_Dang) February 4, 2022
“Alleged human rights abuses.” We’re sure that will come as a relief to the Uyghurs, who have been under the impression that they’ve been imprisoned in slave labor camps, where they are humiliated, beaten, tortured, forcibly sterilized, and raped.
China denies allegations of genocide or other human rights abuses, and says its camps in Xinjiang provide vocational training and are needed to fight extremism.
Throughout the opening ceremony, NBC turned to experts to explain the gravity of Western governments’ and human rights groups’ allegations against China for its treatment of ethnic minorities.
“They allege that this is a massive program of social engineering aimed at suppressing Muslim Uyghur culture, language, tradition, identity,” said Andy Browne, editorial director of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum and one of two China experts hired by NBC for its broadcast. “They allege a host of human rights abuses, forced labor, coercive birth control practices, indoctrination, and that this all adds up to a form of cultural genocide.”
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CNN’s Brian Stelter, for one, thinks that NBC deserves recognition for whitewashing the Chinese government’s brutality. Because that’s what Real News™ is, Mr. President:
NBC deserves recognition for this >>> https://t.co/Q14gGYzu8T
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 4, 2022
And Brian Stelter deserves recognition for being a garbage hack with absolutely no shame to speak of.
Seriously, what a piece of crap. This is nothing to applaud:
NBC just casually working as a mouthpiece to push Chinese Communist propaganda. pic.twitter.com/8M45pyaTKN
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) February 4, 2022
WATCH: @SavannahGuthrie calls a reported Uyghur co-lighting the Olympic flame, chosen by Xi Jinping, “an in-your-face response to those Western nations, including the U.S., who have called this Chinese treatment of that group genocide and diplomatically boycotted these games.” pic.twitter.com/NBRtIOROJt
— Jackson Richman (@jacksonrichman) February 4, 2022
The fact that NBC News mentioned that China has some issues isn’t worth anything unless they hold China accountable.
Are you serious? https://t.co/kvD5IYRor1
— I love lamp (@fIyinghellfish) February 4, 2022
Brian Stelter is serious, but he’s not a serious person.
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) February 4, 2022
Stelter batting 1000 over the past few days. https://t.co/5eyWbelCpS
— Anthony Abides (@AnthonyAbides) February 4, 2022
No… they do not… especially as they are now sucking CCP dick while this goes on
— Ahmed Al Assliken (@assliken) February 4, 2022
At least we know where Brian stands on this stuff.
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