Russia Unveiled An Examination of Political Construction Through

Russia Unveiled An Examination of Political Construction Through Media Coverage Sydney M. Hammond ‘ 14 The Science, Technology, and Society Department, Colby College Abstract: #NBCFail: Journey of The Torch: This past year, the world watched as Russia prepared for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. United States media coverage was no exception and focused much of its attention on the archaic tendencies of the Russian government. The heighted exposure increased Russia’s visibility to the American public, leading to increased transparency and more opportunity for Russia’s actions to be scrutinized and policed. The United States broadcasting of the Olympic Opening Ceremony demonstrates media’s ability to construct and manipulate the coverage of an event in efforts to cater to the ideologies and desires already widely at play among target audiences. The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) has full rights to the broadcasting of the Olympic games in the United States through the year 2020, making it the only legally accessible mainstream coverage of the games within the U. S. The monopolization of this global event has given NBC the power to craft an image of present day Russia by implementing tape delays and editing broadcasted footage. Employing NBC’s 6 -hour live coverage, Full Replay: Opening Ceremony, I draw attention to what Russia’s intentions were in their elaborate display of performances and how NBC was able to guide America’s focus on specific aspects of the performance, while simultaneously distancing viewers from others. How this footage is accessed and curtailed by the NBC network, which boasts the promise of live coverage as their unique product, has a captivating and lasting impact on its audience. Hundreds of Americans turned to social media outlet, Twitter, to voice their disapproval of NBC’s broadcasting method. Using the hashtag #NBCfails, Twitter users Tweeted the obvious wrongs showcased by NBC. Historically, the United States had a complicated relationship with Russia, one that has been largely based on technological power and scientific elitism. As the host of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Russia had an opportunity to prove to the world that she is a technological powerhouse, capable of organizing the most impressive Olympics to date. One of the many platforms Russia chose to assert her technological superiority was through the Olympic Torch Relay. Reaching new limits— longer and farther than any prior Olympic Flame, 123 days and a distance of traveling over 40, 389 miles—the Sochi Olympic torch relay surpassed even greater exploits. Special projects included successful trips to outer space, the bottom of the world’s deepest Lake, the Baikal, the slopes of an active volcano, and to the top of Europe’s highest peak, Mount Elbrus. The decision not to broadcast the travel of the torch is essentially a refusal by the United States to glorify Russia’s very real technological triumphs. Thomas Bach’s Anti-Discrimination Speech: t. A. T. u. is arguably Russia’s greatest modern musical phenomenon that has originated in the last 15 years. A duo comprised of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova captured the ears and eyes of fans all over the world with their attractive vocals and consistent portrayal as a lesbian couple in the early 2000’s. Katina and Volkova, both publicly proclaimed heterosexuals, gained much of their early fame from their lustful and provocative music videos in which they act as lovers. Therefore, t. A. T. u. ’s pre-opening appearance at Fisht Olympic Stadium is shocking because the musical group’s image, lyrics, and legacy all strongly contradict current Russian anti. LGBT propaganda laws. NBC’s failure to include such footage suggests the network’s refusal to recognize Russia’s public attempt to dissuade the world of its negative reputation in regards to gender identity and sexuality by making a fauxlesbian musical group their opening act. The performance can be understood as the statement that sexual orientation and gender identity cannot and will not be silenced. When t. A. T. u appeared onstage, Putin made the recent anti-LGBT propaganda bills look vulnerable and, in effect, made his own image vulnerable to accusations of falling victim to western pressures and global policing. By not broadcasting this short, five-minute segment, NBC was able to maintain American views of Russia as an archaic and unbending nation. IOC President, Thomas Bach, responded directly to the attention hovering around Russia’s anti-LGBT propaganda laws preaching to Olympic athletes and viewers that: “It is possible even as competitors, to live together under one roof in harmony, with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason […] Olympic Games are never about erecting walls to keep people apart. Olympic games are a sports festival embracing human diversity in great unity… Please respect [the athletes] Olympic message of goodwill, of tolerance, or excellence and of peace. Have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful, direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes. ” This elegant peace offering, presented by a neutral party, unified Russia and the United States under the context of healthy competition, defusing, if only for a moment, international tensions of Western vs. Eastern socio-political ideologies. The decision to cut the anti-discrimination remarks from the opening ceremony highlighted NBC’s lack of respect for the international politics regarding human rights abuse. Sources: Mc. Carthy, Michael. "NBC Wins Rights to Olympics through 2020; Promises More Live Coverage. " USA Today. Gannett, 07 June 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. "Sochi: 2014 | NBCOlympics. com. " NBC Olympics Live Extra. N. p. , n. d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. http: //stream. nbcolympics. com/opening-ceremony/winter/15447/ Burke, Timothy. "NBC Edits Out IOC Anti-Discrimination Statement From Opening Ceremony. " Deadspin. N. p. , 07 Feb. 2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. http: //deadspin. com/nbc-edits-out-ioc-anti-discrimination-statement-from-op-151872793 Acknowledgements: I want to thank Professor Joseph Martin and Professor Paul R. Josephson for aiding my navigation through Russian history and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games. Their guidance and support undoubtedly strengthened my ability to articulate my research and convey my findings.