Media Access To Olympic Websites Blocked By China

Nobody really watched the Winter Olympics, and those who cover it weren't really up to date on the games, either.

That's because members of the media say they were blocked access to multiple Olympics websites. This is something that was brought to light by Los Angeles Times reporter Nathan Fenno.

"Good morning from the Beijing Olympics, where our hotel WiFi is now blocking access to several Olympics-related sites "for security reasons" as the Games enter their final day," Fenno tweeted.

Reporter Tamara Anthony added, "The Wifi in the Media Center in the Olympic Bubble seems to be censored. It’s not behind the Chinese firewall (and therefore only non-Chinese personnel gets access! ). But some pages don’t open."

Anthony included a picture of a blocked Olympics-related page as evidence.

Of course, this was to be expected. Censorship and control is nothing new in the world of communism and especially, the Chinese government. So some things aren't as surprise.

The Games probably never should have happened in Beijing, given China's mass human rights violations. A lot of media members who have been supportive of China are now perhaps no longer on China's side.

The Games end Sunday, and almost everyone involved from somewhere other than China (including many of the athletes), likely can't wait to get out of there.

Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.