I couldn’t believe what a coup this was for a university newspaper. Never mind the politics of the G8, the protests, the setting of global agendas-the service deserves its own mention.
The privileges enjoyed by media were vast, a world of difference from the no-respect policy most places have for us press hacks. Provided to all of us were trays of smoked salmon and paprika-and-egg sandwiches, fruit trays filled and emptied constantly, infinite gummy bears, and a Frisbee.
In between a regal lunch and dinner of coq au vin or more salmon (this time in dill sauce), plus an bar with a nice stock of champagne and an “all-you-can-drink” policy. To offset the free beer and liquor, there was an array of teas and coffees, one of them fair trade.
Of course, most of my time was spent using the free wireless internet and long distance phone calls. A deck and courtyard overlooking the Baltic Sea seems like a nice place to write an article, doesn’t it?
The last part was actually the most important for the German planners behind this summit. Bring the international media to a seaside resort for a week, pamper them flamboyantly, and see how much they write about it.
My first day there I could not get over the stark differences in quality of life between the media and others involved with this summit. Protesters living outside in activist camps, needing to share water and food, were not, I believe, informed about the warm lap of luxury on the other side of the security fence. All the world’s recipients of humanitarian aid, one of the major topics here, wouldn’t dream of the bounty that we ate.
