Games journalists told to avoid political stories

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 8

Games journalists told to avoid political stories

NZPA-Reuter Moscow The head of Soviet broadcasting has warned foreign television and radio networks not to try to cover political stories during next year’s Olympic Games in Moscow. Sergei Lapin, chairman of the State Television and Radio Committee, was addressing a closed seminar of senior broadcasting journalists and executives, held to help prepare coverage of the Games. According to Western sources present, Mr Lapin said his warning was intended as “advice.” He said foreign radio and television teams should not expect active

support from their Soviet hosts in covering nonsports stories, for which there would be very little time. He said that as under the Olympic Charter no other important events would coincide with the Olympics in Moscow, coverage of events other than sport would not be justified. He particularly -warned journalists against the tendency of some Western reporters to conduct “public opinon polls” — apparently a reference to unscheduled interviews with the man in the street. This type of reporting would come up against di-

fficulties, he said, adding: “Our people know what to say.” Mr Lapin’s main theme was that the Olympic Games were not “an arena for political discussions.”

The sources said Mr Lapin’s remarks caused something of a stir among representatives of West European, Japanese, and North American television and radio networks attending the seminar. According to the Olympic Organising Committee, some 4000 broadcasters and technicians will be covering the games, which will be watched on television by about 2500 million people.