An Olympic All-access Pass?

Last month, the government issued what may prove to be a stunning announcement in advance of the Olympics: starting this month, journalists seeking interviews with government officials need only obtain the permission of the officials themselves. Up until now, landing an interview as a foreign journalist required advance preparation, patience, and permission from on high—three things journalists aren’t exactly in love with. At least until October 2008, when the new rules are meant to end, this reporter could, theoretically, dial up the president on the old red phone without having to go through all those pesky handlers. “Hu, a quick one: who would dominate the balance beam—Zhang Ziyi or Li Gong?” I wouldn’t ask that question of course, because I already know what he’d say.

Which raises the question: just how earth-shattering is this policy shift if everything else remains the same. If officials know that someone up above is still listening, will they really turn into ragingly candid interviewees, letting loose on everything from China’s prospects on the 100 meter dash to civil society? The very same day the new rules were announced, a city court denied an appeal by Zhao Yan, a New York Times researcher, of his three-year prison sentence, which many see as an attempt by the government to dissuade Chinese reporters from going “foreign.”

The rules also allow reporters to travel freely in China without official permission, but what happens if the local police don’t know the rules? “As long as local authorities are adequately briefed, it shouldn’t be that difficult to carry out,” says Melinda Liu, president of the Foreign Correspondents Club. Less ambiguous perhaps is the repeal of television limitations, which formerly meant that all satellite signals had to go through China Central Television. “There have been ‘technical difficulties’ with broadcasts in the past,” says Norman Bottorff, manager for the AP’s television operation in China. “If we have our own uplink equipment then there will be no one monitoring our broadcasts.”

The outlined regulations had the press corps stroking their chins at the thought of their new prospects, especially when Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said, “We want to create an enabling environment for foreign journalists.” And in an ideal world, what would “enabled” foreign reporters do with this newly granted freedom? tbj canvassed Chinese and foreign freelance journalists, wire correspondents and reporters including AP TV, National Public Radio and The Hollywood Reporter for a correspondents’ holiday wish list.

“Tibet and Xinjiang. It would be nice to be able to go to these places without having to pretend to be a tourist.”

“Three gorges stories. I'd go to places where people are being relocated, or the places near the gorges where people have just moved back.”

“I'd like to be able to stay overnight in a village. These days, if you're a foreigner, especially a journalist, somebody shows up and tells you to go to the nearest hotel.”

“A tour of Zhongnanhai. Or army bases. I've applied for some. I would obviously like to do an elite unit; paratroopers or something that. We can't get access to any of them currently.”

“I'd like to hire a Chinese reporter, as opposed to just a news assistant.”

“No more 'technical difficulties' with satellite broadcasts. That shouldn't be a problem if we have our own uplink equipment.”

“Sitting on a film bureau censor's meeting. They're a rotating group of senior cadres, but nobody knows who they are. Basically a star chamber for the movie industry.”

“The ability to go to Shandong, to interview Chen Guangcheng, the blind activist. Find out … what's going on with his case. Now, if you try to get into the village, they … send you away.”

“We could have a piece of paper, a regulation in Chinese that I can show to local county level provincial level officials or cops saying that I should be there.”

“I'll head straight to the AIDS villages in Hebei.”

“Well, just to keep things related to the Games, as the government hopes, how about a story just around the time of the Paralympics on the lack of handicapped wheelchair ramps in every major city throughout China?”