67 replies to this topic

[Mainad]

Just read this article in the international edition of Der Spiegel. It appears their correspondent in London doesn't think much of the city's ability to organise the Games and is predicting they will turn out to be a fiasco!

What can I say, other than to hope that he will feel ashamed and embarrassed to have written this a month from now!

http://www.spiegel.d...l-a-844599.html

[RobH]

Two World Wars and Three Olympics Doo Dah Doo Dah

[Lee]

I don't recognise the London that this guy describes, at all. He seems to have an absolute hatred of the city. Oh well, one less person to contribute to the crippling of our crumbling transport system.

Edited by Lee, 18 July 2012 - 12:24 PM.

[LOUIS]

Quite unfair and one sided article, but i 'm afraid that the part about "local consensus" is, at least partially, true: Every host country had its sceptics or its naysayers, but this relentless moaning is unprecedented. But If "one thing this city doesn't need is more gawping, milling, incontinently happy tourists."or the "Olympics have nothing to do with Britishness" (!) then WHY on earth did the Brits try so hard to land the olympics?
Woo hoo, olympic games in a cynical land!

[Lee]

We are a nation of moaners and complainers. The situation is not helped by the media in this country. Quite frankly who cares about overseas criticism when our own media are doing a pretty good job at destroying the morale of the country on it's own. The approval ratings were very high last time I saw them.

Edited by Lee, 18 July 2012 - 12:45 PM.

[Lee]

I see this particular journalist has a history of anti-British articles.

http://www.spiegel.d...p-a-803122.html

http://www.spiegel.d...e-a-759304.html

http://www.spiegel.d...d-a-693959.html

[daveypodmore]

Just watch images of the torch relay. The people wanted the games and they will love the games. The media need to catch up with the national mood

[Athensfan]

As I've said before, London is my favorite city in the world and I would live there if I could.

However, I don't see what is so totally inaccurate about that article. The thing that stood out most was describing William and Kate's wedding as "grandiose" -- which (especially in comparison to his parents' nuptials) it was not. It was the definition of elegance and pageantry (with an outstanding homily, btw...)

He has a valid point about transport, weather, crowding, military presence, etc. I don't personally know if youth are significantly more active in UK sport now than they were 7 years ago, but I suspect they are not. Taekwondo and synchronized swimming are not particularly "British", but table tennis and handball aren't particularly American and we've hosted the Games -- so I'm not sure what that has to do with the price of eggs (though it is true).

The thing that bothers me most is predicting a "fiasco." There are certainly reasons to raise an eyebrow and maybe hold one's breath, but I'd prefer to assume that London will pull it all off beautifully. Why assume the worst?

[Citius Altius Fortius]

The same news magazine - a London article with a totally different approach toward London:
Die besten Tipps für den Olympia-Urlaub


On the German website is a part, which is about the Olympische_Sommerspiele_2012 only:

In my point of view several articles are carping - I know it better: London 2012 will become very exciting and great - I suppose the articles will change during the games - Der Spiegel likes to be critical resp. the magazine likes to be whistle blowers...

Edited by Citius Altius Fortius, 18 July 2012 - 01:19 PM.

[RobH]

C'mon, you're more intelligent than that Athensfan.

This journalist has set out to portray an image of London pre-Olympics to his readers, none of whom will be in London. That's the aim of this piece; it's clearly not designed as a polemic, an editorial or an opinion piece. It's written in a factual authoratatie tone and those who know no better will get the impression everything's going wrong.

He's selected only the most negative opinions, the worst-case scenatios regarding transport, only allowed quotes from anti-Olympic voices. It gives the impression to those who know no better than things are much, much, much worse than they are - that rather than one of the best prepared Olympics in history we're a week away from Delhi MK II. It's extremtly irresponsible journalism. It may be that there are a lot of facts in there, but there's zero balance. If this was an opinion piece from one writer, or an editorial then it'd be fine in its own way, but it's not setting itself up as that -it's claiming to be "news" - and is therefore extremely misleading.

Edited by RobH, 18 July 2012 - 01:31 PM.