New Delhi: The Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka has criticised the Western media for using “ugly” images of Chinese sportspersons at the Tokyo Olympics, and publishing “anti-China” headlines in their reports.
“Among all the photos of the game, @Reuters has chosen this one, which only shows how ugly they are. Don’t put politics and ideologies above sports, and call yourself an unbiased media organization. Shameless. Respect the spirit of #Olympics (sic),” the embassy’s official handle tweeted Saturday.
Among all the photos of the game, @Reuters has chosen this one, which only shows how ugly they are.
Don't put politics and ideologies above sports, and call yourself an unbiased media organization. Shameless.
Respect the spirit of #Olympics. https://t.co/FugQm9obGr
— Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka (@ChinaEmbSL) July 24, 2021
The tweet was in reference to a report by Reuters of China’s Zhihui Hou winning the gold medal in the women’s 49-kg weightlifting competition. The photo accompanying the report shows the athlete in the moment of her lifting a barbell, her face scrunched up from the effort.
Twitter users were quick to comment that there may be different interpretations of what may qualify as “ugly” or unflattering in moments of sport.
To this, the embassy said the mainstream media was ugly. “Never the athletes. They’re beautiful,” it added.
In a second tweet, the embassy had posted four screenshots of different Reuters reports of the Olympics from the same day, to show a contrast in the choice of images.
Same day, same Olympics, same @Reuters , different faces. Maybe it's because everything good in life comes easier for the white westerners?
We said that these biased MSM are ugly. Never the athletes. They're beautiful. pic.twitter.com/GBWoCJbW5O
— Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka (@ChinaEmbSL) July 24, 2021
Several users on Twitter pointed out that other Chinese newspapers used the same image that the embassy identified as “ugly”.
How it started. VS How it’s going. pic.twitter.com/vjMBSaepE2
— China Daily (@china_daily_en) July 25, 2021
A day later, the embassy posted another tweet, this time of a Reuters report on China’s Li Fabin winning the gold in the men’s 61-kg-weightlifting category. The image accompanying the report was of a smiling Li.
25th vs 24th July
A difference has been noticed. 👏#Olympics #FasterHigherStrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/lGzxLA5lun
— Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka (@ChinaEmbSL) July 25, 2021
CNN’s ‘anti-China’ headline
In separate tweet posted on 24 July, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka also hit out at American broadcaster CNN for publishing an “anti-China” headline.
“Anyone who still consider the embassy over-reacting on western MSM reporting against China and believe them unbiased, non-political & independent, please see today’s best (so far) anti-China/humanity/#Olympics headline presented by CNN from #Tokyo. Sorry for their poor people (sic),” it said.
Anyone who still consider the embassy over-reacting on western MSM reporting against China and believe them unbiased, non-political & independent,
please see today's best (so far) anti-China/humanity/#Olympics headline presented by CNN from #Tokyo
Sorry for their poor people🙏 https://t.co/Qqul99gLQN pic.twitter.com/YPHYRyjcCd
— Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka (@ChinaEmbSL) July 24, 2021
The embassy was referring to CNN‘s coverage of the first gold medal of the Olympics, which was claimed by Chinese shooter Yang Qian, coupled with a headline that read: ‘The first day of the 2020 Olympics begins with gold for China and more Covid-19 cases’.
Social media users clapped back, terming the embassy’s statement “propaganda” while others wondered if the screenshot posted by the handle had been edited.
Your print screen and the one I just took off the CNN website (live updates) are very different. The one shared by you looks edited in comparison to the one below from @CNN live updates. Look at the font in yours and the ones below. Also, the heading in your post is not aligned. pic.twitter.com/emW61L7RJO
— Munza Mushtaq (@munza14) July 25, 2021
That headline is about the Olympic, they are talking about Chinese Archer winning gold and the rising case of covid at the Olympic.
Seriously stop with this propaganda, you completely overreact to things that aren’t even there.
You are not doing China any good by acting this way.— Trine Herold 💉💉 (@TrineHerold) July 25, 2021
(Edited by Manasa Mohan)
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube & Telegram
Why news media is in crisis & How you can fix it
India needs free, fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism even more as it faces multiple crises.
But the news media is in a crisis of its own. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism is shrinking, yielding to crude prime-time spectacle.
ThePrint has the finest young reporters, columnists and editors working for it. Sustaining journalism of this quality needs smart and thinking people like you to pay for it. Whether you live in India or overseas, you can do it here.