From: binwu@poisson.Berkeley.EDU (Bin Wu)
Subject: letter to NBC, from Berkeley and Stanford students
Organization: /home/poisson/users/binwu/.organization
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 09:41:32 GMT


The following is the letter we wrote to NBC, protesting its coverage
of Chinese athletes during the Olympics, especially its allegation that
Chinese swimmers used performance enhancing drugs.  
---

To:	Robert C. Wright	President of NBC
	Dick Ebersol		President of NBC Sports
	Terry O'Neil		Executive Producer of NBC
	Bob Costas		NBC Sports Host

Re: Protest over NBC's Slandering  Chinese Swimmers    
 
We are a group of Chinese students studying in the United States. We are 
deeply insulted by NBC's introduction and comments on Chinese swimmers in 
broadcasting the 25th Olympic Games.  

NBC's simple-minded, rough comparison between the Chinese and former East 
Germany athletes further  stirred the rumor that the Chinese swimmers were 
using performance enhancing drugs. NBC used its every propaganda skill 
to persuade its audience to accept what itself called "rumors".   NBC 
intentionally gave its audience an unfavorable impression of Chinese 
swimmers by using editing and photographic skills. Its interviewers 
purposefully lured the American athletes to say what they wanted to hear. 
Such behavior is outmoded and degrading and  is awfully insulting. Never 
before had any rumor been given so much credence and such strong support. 
But any thoughtful audience can easily detect the bad logic in its 
argument and obvious discrimination in its rhetoric.  In fact, the Olympic 
Drug Testing Committee reserves the final judgment on whether an athlete 
has used drugs or not. With every Chinese swimmer proved to be negative in 
drug testing, the truth is recognized by everyone in the world.

American people have an admirable characteristics---welcoming challenges. 
To Americans, "challenge is opportunity".  But this time we were surprised 
that NBC kept saying things like "there's no way", "it is impossible" 
on what Chinese swimmers had achieved.  NBC's attitude toward its 
compatriots' defeat disappointed us.  However, American athletes showed  
the Olympic spirit on this issue.  They bravely admitted their loss and 
felt comfortable whenever they had done their best. We believe such proper 
attitude toward loss is the beginning to win  next time. 

NBC's systematic discrediting of Chinese Team badly hurt our feelings.  
Its engagement in spreading slander is irresponsible to the Chinese 
athletes.  It is dangerous for a democratic society to have a major network 
misleading its people into discrimination, bias and rumor.  It is totally 
unacceptable to have blatant discrimination in mass media. We strongly 
protest what NBC has done in spreading the rumor against the Chinese 
swimmers and demand NBC, especially its hosts of the 25th Olympic games to 
openly apologize to both the Chinese athletes and NBC audience for their 
unprofessional and irresponsible behavior.  

We wish NBC to give a second thought on what it says and make sure that NBC 
itself believes what it wants its audience to believe and be more 
responsible  to its audience. 


UC Berkeley Chinese Students & Scholars Association	
Associated Chinese Students & Scholars at Stanford
				


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