- Matt Murphy
- BBC reporter
image source,Getty Images
Such footage of unmasked fans was conspicuously absent from China’s coverage of the World Cup.
In football, the phrase “football is nothing without fans” is so well known that it has even become a mantra of some commentators. But during the World Cup, Chinese state media have been challenging that claim.
When Ghana beat South Korea in a classic World Cup clash on Monday (November 28), China tweaked its coverage of the match to ensure viewers didn’t see images of fans not wearing masks , and will not see a world emerging from the restrictions of the new crown epidemic.
Those watching the game on the BBC and most of the world will have seen smiling, maskless Ghanaian fans celebrating excitedly as the camera zoomed in.
When Mohammed Kudus scored in the 68th minute, images of dancing and cheering Ghanaian fans on one side and anxious South Korean fans on the other went around the world.
But China is not among them. Viewers watching the game on China’s CCTV sports channel (CCTV 5) will experience the moment differently.
Instead of raucous fans, Chinese viewers saw the reactions of South Korea coach Paulo Bento and Ghana coach Otto Addo.
And when the game came to an end, there was obviously no scene of Korean fans holding their heads in tears on the broadcast in China.
image source,Getty Images
There were also no color photos of dejected South Korean supporters in the report.
The change is small, but very deliberate.
As anti-lockdown protests have rocked the country, officials on Chinese state television have been careful not to send images of a world largely free of coronavirus restrictions into homes.
It’s not uncommon for broadcasters of major events to be able to choose their view of the frame, and some broadcasters often put a slight delay in so that the footage can be edited and selected before viewers see it.
According to the BBC’s observation, there is a delay of about 52 seconds between CCTV5 and the BBC’s broadcast screen.
In this case, the changes appeared to come after images of unmasked fans celebrating in packed stadiums sparked outrage in China. Rapid lockdowns and quarantines remain commonplace and controversial in China.
Chinese social media users were quick to take note of the change, with many expressing frustration that the rest of the world was treating the virus so differently.
Last week, an open letter that went viral on WeChat questioning China’s ongoing “zeroing out” policy and asking whether China and Qatar “are not on the same planet” was subsequently deleted.
“One side of the world is the carnival of the World Cup, and the other side is the rule of not entering public places for five days (arriving in Shanghai),” wrote a Weibo user.
Even the state-run Global Times acknowledged that with restrictions still in place in many Chinese cities, some fans “choose to watch games at home with their families”.
While the wide-angle footage of some fans not wearing masks cannot be completely avoided, the close-ups of fans enjoying the game unrestricted are unlikely to come back for Chinese fans.