NBC, other media criticized for coverage of China during Beijing Olympics: 'Words Matter'

Hudson Institute senior fellow explains why words matter when describing China's actions against Uyghurs.

Since before the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, NBC has been scrutinized for its coverage of China's many human rights atrocities.

Lawmakers sent a letter to NBC in January encouraging "honest and transparent" coverage of protests taking place, as well as the country’s human rights violations and genocide against the Uyghurs. Despite this, the network has come under fire for the lack of coverage of China’s actions.

Sen. Marco Rubio said in a Fox News Opinion article that NBC should be renamed the "National Beijing Corporation," since it "has dutifully recited Chinese Communist Party (CCP) talking points at every turn." 

NBC was not the only outlet that came under fire for coverage of China during the Olympics. 

An ESPN guest questioned "who are we to criticize China’s human rights record" given "attacks by the agents of the state against unarmed citizens" and "assaults on the voting rights of our people of color in various states in this country."

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Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Nury Turkel said the media has been "clumsy" with its coverage of China and the Olympics. 

Turkel said words like "human rights abuses," "mass detention," "mistreatment," and "alleged genocide" undermine what is actually happening to the Uyghur people in China. 

On his last day on the job, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released determinations that China committed crimes against humanity and "genocide against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs," and within hours, his successor, Antony Blinken, was asked if he agreed. 

"That