The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics will commence this Friday, letting the sports, rather than the political games, finally begin. Sochi, a resort town with subtropical temperatures, is far from the norm of Russian topography—rather, it is a balmy haven meant to show off Russia’s economic prowess and Putin’s clout to the world. $51 billion have gone into the transformation of Sochi into an Olympic arena, a cost greater than the aggregate of all past winter games. However, the social cost of this Olympics is even greater, emphasized by coverage unevenly balanced between scandal and sport, detracting attention from the games themselves.
The media has chosen to cover what sells easily: fear. Unrest from the Caucasus region in recent months has cast a shadow over the usual Olympic hype. In December, two bombings in Volgograd ignited terrorism fever. Headlines have since fueled panic surrounding possible terrorist attacks at Sochi, with extensive coverage of the three “Black Widow” suicide bombers and the Pentagon’s two warships in the Black Sea. Yet, such coverage of terrorist attacks has failed to educate the public on why the Caucasus region is restive. There has been no mention of Stalin’s exiling the Chechens to Kazakhstan, Putin’s invasion of Chechnya in 1999 or any history of Islamist extremists in the Caucasus. Facts lack the appeal of fear and death, and unfortunately cable news chooses the latter—giving terrorist organizations exactly what they want. (Xanax)
Additionally, Russian censorship of gay rights activism has affected both LGBT athletes and the ad campaigns of Olympic sponsors such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. Legislation enacted last year prohibits homosexual propaganda, which has prevented gay rights marches, as well as airtime coverage of gay issues. In an interview, Putin told gay athletes not to worry about competing in Sochi—as long as they leave the children alone. Despite fears of terrorism and hostility against LGBTQ athletes, Putin made a sound bite out of his “ring of steel,” which encompasses 1,500 square feet with 40,000 police officers and soldiers inside. Still, a leaked U.S. Olympic Committee memo requested that American athletes not wear their uniforms outside the ring.
Coverage of the actual Olympics, from the 12 new events to the personal stories of the athletes themselves, has been overlooked. Feeding off of fear and ignorance, the media has given more airtime to terrorist interests and Russian propaganda rather than to the hardworking athletes and their sports. The purpose of the Olympics is to enact diplomacy between countries via sport competition, not create larger international divides. Hopefully, after the opening ceremonies, the media can help undo its own damage by redirecting the focus of the 2014 Olympics and allowing the athletes and events to rightfully dominate the news cycle.
Good article, however I think that it would be very difficult to squeeze 40K Russians inside a 1500 square foot circle. Need a new fact checker?
Love, Aunt Helen and Uncle Tom