About 120 reporters from the Olympic News Service (ONS) on Friday became the first to officially check in at the Green Homeland Media Village, the temporary home for 6,000 accredited journalists during the Games.
Two foreign reporters from the Olympic News Service (ONS) arrive at the Green Homeland Media Village in Beijing, July 25, 2008. [Xinhua] |
Media teams, including ones from Reuters, NBC and the Xinhua News Agency, will stay at the village, where they will be served by about 8,000 experienced hospitality workers and volunteers.
A further 1,000 journalists will stay at the Huiyuan Apartment Media Village, located to the east of the Bird's Nest.
Zhao Jinfang, deputy director of the Olympic Village operations team, said: "The Green Homeland compound has seven canteens operating round-the-clock and two cafes, where journalists will be able to relax with a beer and a snack."
Australian Robert Kabbas, who competed in three Olympics as a weightlifter and is now a reporter with the ONS, said: "Everything has been fantastic. I haven't had any problems."
He said a volunteer gave him a trolley for his luggage as soon as he got off the bus and the whole checking-in process took less than a minute.
The Media Village has its own supermarkets, souvenir shops, swimming pools and gyms, and the journalists can get around in battery-powered buggies, Zhao said.
When they have to go to work, shuttle buses will transport them to the Olympic Green in just 15 minutes, she said.
Paul Rump, who has worked with the ONS on the previous two Olympics, said: "You can clearly see that the organizers have made a lot of effort to ensure everyone is well looked after.
"And we are very close to the MPC (main media center)," he said.
The first journalists - 140 from NBC - actually checked in to the village on Thursday, the day before its official opening, Zhao said.
"Some of them even brought their dirty laundry with them, because they knew our laundry service is free," she said with a smile.