ITV correspondent John Ray has been arrested by officials in Beijing, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports.
Ray was covering a pro-Tibet protest near the main Olympic site and was arrested despite identifying himself as a journalist.
The YouTube video below shows Ray in a police van reasoning with police officers before being driven away.
The camera still rolling, Ray repeatedly shouts ‘I’m a journalist’. “This is press freedom,” he says.
I am all for freedom of the press, but sometimes i have to ask myself whether certain journalists are just going out with an agenda, other than that of the Olympic coverage, and searching for trouble in attempt to get “exclusives” etc.. Can we not just stick to the games? All this Tibet coverage is starting to do my head in to be honest! Perhaps the Chinese will get us back in 2012 about Iraq /Afghanistan / g’ bay.
I agree with William. This John Ray happens to be at the location where 8 Tibet Protester are doing the T shirt thing in a 65 Acre venue.Coincidence???..Umm. It’s a sad day when Journalist try making the news for that “exclusive”. With all the crap happening in Georgia News at 10 made this the lead with “Look what happened to our reporter”.
John Rays behavior was that of a petulant child ” I am a reporter, I am press” It’s a privileged position you are given Mr Ray but it does not mean you are any better than anyone there, even the Chinese Police, who may not of understood a word you were ranting. Calm down. report the facts and lets Not hear YOUR opinion. You are there to report news not make the news
Yes there is an issue with Tibet but the issue is not as simple as trying to get independence. 800 years of history and intolerant religious serfdoms prior to the Chinese revolution and varying borders and opinions make this issue as hot as the Northern Ireland debate we had in the 60’s to the 90’s.
To be honest ITN has gone to the dogs. It’ whole agenda generally is “gutter tabloid and gossip mag” story lines, where each headline has to have a rhyming headline pun at the start of each subject. Around the Olympics it has been “lets find that misery making, shocking and contraversal piece of news oh and let throw 5 minutes of sport somewhere.
Right that my twopence worth.
Well done Team GB so far.
John Ray has been the China correspondent since 2006 – hardly just there to stir up trouble!!
Weird that the police allowed the cameras to roll and show the whole sorry story.
Well said William and Marshy!!
It seems for me that Mr. Ray is the typical “dirt digger” Journalist, holding the flag of freedom of the press, but his actions make you wondering what is his true agenda here? He said himself that his mission is to give ITV news viewers true vision of China, but he’s been based in China for more than 2 years now, he should know better than those do-gooders that Tibet issue is a complicated and historic issue that by putting up a few childish banners won’t achieve anything.
As a native Chinese who was born and breed in Beijing. I am sick of western media’s negative approach towards our country. I know for the fact that China has grown so much during the past 30 years, we have seen changes and improvement of our lifes for the past 30 years than any western person can expect during their lifetime!!
Yes, it was a misunderstanding that Chinese Police arrested Mr. Ray, but by shouting to Chinese Police that he is a reporter in English, did he really expect them to understand that?
Come on Mr. Ray, why don’t you channel some of your “Dirt digging” energy to better your Chinese Language, and it may not be happening next time.
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