False Experts, Lazy Journalists

David Zweig is the director of the Center on China's Transnational Relations at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He’s also a profound dunce when it comes to the history of the Olympic games in developing countries.

However, he’s not the only one to blame for his mistake appearing in an April 19 VOA news story by reporter Naomi Martig.

In the article, he explains the reasons behind China’s apprehension about hosting the Olympics this year: “'I don't think any other country has been as worried about protests and probably isn't as sensitive to protests as China,’ he noted. ‘I think one of the big differences is that China is the first developing country to have the Olympics.’” ¹

What a profound misstatement. Mexico City hosted the 1968 Olympics; at that point they could hardly have been considered a “developed” country.

Maybe that was before his time, but he should at least have remembered the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. South Korea still has yet to be accepted as a “developed” country, despite having the 11th largest economy in the world.

But like I said, Zweig’s not the only one to blame. Reporter Naomi Martig relied on him as her sole source for three quotations in the same article – that’s just plain laziness. At the very least, she should have cross-checked his statements, but she obviously didn’t do that either.

Today's knowledge-based society has produced a plethora -- a veritable cornucopia, if you will -- of "experts" who unfortunately don't know what they are talking about. It's a shame there isn't a better filter out there.