Spotlight on Sochi

With the world’s eyes on the Olympics and thus Russia by extension, journalism’s searchlight has already rescued truth from beneath the rug. Twitter is just one good reflection of that in general.  All and all, the media has covered a variety of stories: the jailing of environmentalists, economic downturns combined with draconian spending for Sochi ($51 billion, more than any other for the Olympics) and criticism of Putin, how locals are impacted, the shoddy state of hotels mere days before the Olympics, crackdowns on protests, corruption, security concerns, the killing of stray dogs, and human rights concerns– to name a few.  Arguably, the biggest outpouring came in response Russia’s anti-gay laws and attitudes.

Russian officials haven’t been too pleased about the barrage of coverage.  Plenty have also said that the Olympics should remain a sporting event, not political, and that Russia can do what it wants within its own country.  I disagree. Politics are inseparable from the event and should be covered as much as the athletes and events themselves. I won’t deny that coverage has seemed to drag out our inner-Cold War mentalities a little, nor will I say that’s a perfect thing.

By stepping into the international eye though, one should expect all sorts of coverage- positive, negative, and otherwise.  One surrenders their right to privacy when stepping on a public, international stage. The job of journalists has always been to reveal problems and give people information difficult to come by, regardless of who it annoys. Attempts at suppressing will eventually fail. China was criticized last time around and the U.S. is no stranger to Olympic controversies.  Putin could not expect everything to be glorious.

That being said, so far Sochi has shown that the news and social media are capable of fulfilling a watchdog role anywhere.  May we see more of this in the future and keep that spotlight shining not just on Sochi, but wherever it may be needed.

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