As Beijing breaks into the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, foreign media are sparing no expense in gearing up to cover it. Recently, CNN sent out a team of 20 headed by Ellana Lee, CNN's Asia Pacific managing editor, to film a live TV show "Countdown Beijing".
"When the International Olympic Committee announced in 2001 that Beijing was going to hold the 2008 Olympics, many knew that it was not going to be just about the Games. It is a modernization of a city and a country" said 36-year-old Ellana. Prior to the broadcasting of Countdown Beijing, the EO interviewed Ellana Lee, the youngest yet highest-ranking Korean producer in CNN International.
EO: How many staff have you taken with you to film "Countdown Beijing" this time? Could you please give a brief introduction of your one-week shooting schedule in Beijing?
Ellana: A team of about 20; which not only included anchors and correspondents but also a strong supporting staff of producers, technical operators, engineers and cameramen. They have been involved in the logistics, planning and execution of our special week of programming. As for our shooting schedule, preparations for Countdown Beijing started months ago. CNN will be in Beijing for the week of August 6, but we kickstart our week with our special half hour program Talk Asia over the weekend on Aug 4 and 5 . Anjali Rao, host of Talk Asia, has interviewed Ms. Yang Lan, China's answer to Oprah Winfrey and she has also interviewed Olympic gold medal winner Deng Yaping. For the week of August 6 to 10, Kristie Lu Stout, Andrew Stevens and John Vause will be reporting live from landmark places around Beijing, including the Bird's Nest Stadium and Tiananmen Square.
EO: Why did you specially design "Countdown Beijing" prior to the Beijing Olympics? CNN’s attention to the Beijing Olympic Games has gone beyond sports and has extended to China’s economic development and the progress of modernization. From your stand of point, what is the significance or implication of this Olympic to Beijing?
Ellana: When the IOC announced in 2001 Beijing was going to hold the 2008 Olympics, many knew that it was not going to be just about the Games. It is a modernization of a city and a country. I myself, am from South Korea and I saw the mark left by the Games afterwards in terms of modernization. There are a lot of advantages that come from hosting the Olympics. I think it is very fortunate for us to be able to cover this story one year before the Games begin. I think that is the inspiration behind the programming for Countdown Beijing. The Olympics is not just a sporting story for China or for Beijing. This is China’s party and China is on the world stage, so this is an opportunity for China to showcase its people, its city and show just how far it has come.
EO: "Made-in-China" has encountered a credit crisis in the European and U.S markets. How does this affect your life and the people around you?
Ellana: Recently there has been a lot of news with regard to products made in China. I think our aim as a news organization is to try and get at the heart of the story by reporting inside and outside of China. As an individual and someone living in Hong Kong I am a consumer of Chinese products. Like many people, I try to stay informed and be a smart consumer.
EO: Chinese officials have criticized western media and maintain that their coverage is not objective and is far from the truth. In your opinion, how could CNN, a foreign media, guarantee its accuracy when it observes, records, and perceives events happening in China? Will CNN serve as a spectator and stick to an external angle or will it try to localize its angle to understand the logic of the Chinese society?
Ellana: CNN is an organization that is more than 25 years old. We are reaching more than 220 million households and hotel rooms in over 200 countries and territories. If we didn't report the news accurately, we wouldn't have that kind of reach. There is no particular coverage policy set only for China. We have a long history here. We set up our Beijing Bureau in 1986 and our journalists there keep us informed of what is happening on the ground.
EO: At present, Chinese government has guaranteed more space and flexibility to foreign media than to domestic ones. We would like to know how CNN perceives China’s media market. Does CNN have any strategic plans over China’s media market over the long term?
Ellana: We have been very pleased with the access we have been getting through this new type of flexibility. And I believe our coverage will be richer for it. As you may know, we have interviewed gold medalist diver Guo Jing Jing. She's an absolute star and we were able to spend a day with her during her training. We were able to see just how this hard working athlete is preparing for one of the most important games of her time. As for our long term plans -- I think you need to understand where our roots were sprouted. As I mentioned, we were one of the early news organizations to set up a bureau in Beijing. We have been here since 1986 and we plan to stay. And I'd like to highlight that we've been coming back to China for our weekly live programs since 2005. This is our 3rd year. We broadcast live from Beijing in 2005, Shanghai in 2006 and now return to Beijing in 2007. And we hope to see you again in 2008.
