Olympic "Prop"aganda: A Prop, Indeed.

            Our lesson over authenticity in mainstream media and alternative media, more particularly news and blogging, respectively, was just a reminder to me of something I’ve been preaching for the past few weeks: propaganda and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

            As I’m sure you are all familiar with, U.S. news stations were eager to report the latest malfunction in Putin’s beautiful disaster of an Olympic Village. Professional journalists were blasting social media and national television with stories of piss-colored water and holes-in-the-ground for toilets. I couldn’t tell you who won the latest luge or figure-skating round because the national news didn’t find priority in that.

            I recall an example of an Olympic skiing athlete subtly fighting the idea of propaganda.  I was watching the Today show while drinking coffee (morning routine) and an athlete who had somehow not been able to compete in the Olympics took an alternative route and became an acting journalist for the Today show. When asked about the assumingly bad slope conditions, the athlete was quick to deny the accusation, saying that the slopes seemed fine to her. How coincidental that I never saw that athlete report for the show again. I also couldn’t find her name or any clips of her while writing this post.

            My roommate, Kathie, recently visited Sochi to film some of the Olympic action. Though she did not stay in the Olympic village, she did get to go to a few events. On her return home, of course, my roommates and I were anxious to ask her about the living conditions. To no surprise by me, she had this to say about the news broadcasted in the U.S. “They took the worst parts of Sochi and broadcasted them as if they were normal. The community of Sochi was unconditionally welcoming.”

            Perhaps the finest example of propaganda fighting is the “Wolf in Olympic Village” prank pulled by Jimmy Kimmel. This is the perfect example of an eye for an eye. If the news skews our perception, we’ll skew theirs. You can see the example in its entirety here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hze_6-f5KNA.
            I can’t speak much for all the authenticity in blogging, but the idea that blogs can provide personal accounts or at least non-profit driven perspectives, should warrant more credit than normally given. Chew on this: Could it be that the mainstream media broadcasts a good portion of the negative context surrounding the credibility of blogging?