The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) was praising the International Olympic Committee Wednesday for creating a mechanism to submit any complaints about press access to the Olympic Games in Rio.
That came in advance of the opening of the games Friday (Aug. 5).
According to CPJ, IOC will allow those covering the organization and staging of the Games to report any violations of their freedom and relay it to relevant authorities.
"Journalists are integral to the success of all international sporting events, and the IOC charter affirms that the IOC must take 'all necessary steps to ensure the fullest coverage' of the games," CPJ executive director Joel Simon said in a statement. "The mechanism is consistent with this obligation, and we urge journalists to use it to its fullest advantage."
CPJ has been pushing for more accountability for press freedom abuses that have limited coverage of sensitive issues.
In 2014, it released a report about the Winter Games in Sochi, "Media Suffer Winter Chill in Coverage of Sochi Olympics," documenting a pattern of "obstruction, intimidation, and harassment" that limited coverage of labor abuses and environmental damage.
CPJ also has its own reporting mechanism, report_violation@cpj.org, which it encourages journalist to use.
