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While journalists and producers have traditionally covered Olympic events in person, much of the reporting on this year's Games was conducted virtually due to the pandemic.

Lasser, who once filled in for Turner Sports to produce a hockey game virtually during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, believes that remote production听will continue for future Olympics, for both technological and financial听reasons.

"There are two major factors 鈥� first, the quality of the production that the world feed provides. Olympic Broadcasting Services has continued to add to the technology of coverage at each Olympics," he says. "The second factor is cost. It cost NBC roughly $50,000 per person sent to Tokyo鈥撯�搕hat is for airfare, hotel and per diem. It doesn鈥檛 even cover pay. At those numbers, it just doesn鈥檛 make sense."

CMCI Instructor and Sports Media Minor Director Marina Dmukhovskaya听is one of many journalists who reported on the Games virtually for the first time this year, and despite having two previous Olympics under her belt鈥擲ochi in 2014 and Pyeongchang in 2018鈥攖he Tokyo games made her feel like a novice again.听

鈥淵ou get used to coming to a place, talking to athletes, talking to coaches and attending press conferences,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd then suddenly all you have is a computer, your notes, internet and your colleagues.鈥�

This was also Dmukhovskaya鈥檚 first time writing for the Olympic Channel, the platform of the International Olympic Committee. Based in Berlin, Germany, she began her coverage at 8 a.m. CEST鈥�3 p.m. in Tokyo, Japan JST鈥攁nd didn't wrap up until at least 6 p.m. CEST. Though she wasn't reporting on site, Dmukhovskaya met virtually with editors and production teams based in Tokyo and Madrid, as well as fellow journalists scattered around the globe.

鈥淚 think this is becoming a new norm,鈥� she says, adding that, while she would have preferred to report from Tokyo, she understands the rationale for limiting exposure to the athletes, as well as the increasing importance of reducing travel for environmental reasons.

For feature stories, Dmukhovskaya focused more on individual athletes than on specific events, she says, noting that for many athletes, the real battle is not with their competitors but with themselves.听

When looking for potential leads, Dmukhovskaya says, she examines the relationship dynamics between athletes and seeks details that capture the personal and often emotional stories of their Olympic journeys. Recently, she produced stories on athletes' mental health, on a rock climber who was forced to train alone after the death of his longtime coach, and on听two former canoe racing rivals from the same team who realized they work better together.听

鈥淭he way that they went from competitors to people who are looking forward to getting the same medal鈥攆rom being these individuals to becoming a team鈥攊t鈥檚 amazing,鈥� she says.

Part of what makes the Games so special, Dmukhovskaya adds, is the way each event brings together an international and diverse group of individuals.听

鈥淸The] Olympics is, I feel like, the greatest event on Earth because it brings the talent and the stories and the representatives of the entire planet,鈥� she says.听

Lasser agreed, noting that the international broadcast center is often a hub for broadcasters from around the world.

"I have always thought that the most unique aspect of the Olympic Games was the international broadcast center," he says. "You can walk through the facility and literally see broadcasters from hundreds of countries all bringing the story of the Olympic Games to their homeland. Just sitting in the commissary, you see the faces of the world in one room and hear so many languages. While the variety is great 鈥� the purpose and focus is the same."

While the听main events take place over the span of about two weeks, producers like Lasser and journalists听like Dmukhovskaya spend far longer preparing. Dmukhovskaya's assignments required extra research this year,听as she needed to familiarize herself with summer events after spending most of her career focused on the Winter Games.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of an unfamiliar situation to me because I鈥檓 not an expert in summer sports. And it鈥檚 funny because I鈥檓 always telling my students who take up sports writing with me, 鈥楬ey, it doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e an expert, you can always research,鈥欌�� she says. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 actually following my own advice and I鈥檓 like, 鈥極h, now it鈥檚 me who has to do that.鈥欌�澨�

For her first Games at Sochi in 2014, Dmukhovskaya, who speaks five languages including Korean, worked as a translator for Viktor Ahn, a six-time Olympic short track speed skating champion who represented 91制片厂 and was born in South Korea. She eventually began writing stories on the Olympics and fell in love with capturing the experience.

鈥淭he atmosphere was just so amazing,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 just wanted to experience that feeling again鈥攖he euphoria of being at this big event. And look at me now. I鈥檓 at home covering the Olympics in Tokyo.鈥澨�

This year, especially, journalists and producers were听critical in keeping fans engaged while they weren't allowed to attend in-person events. As a storyteller and fan herself, Dmukhovskaya says听it was a responsibility she was proud to take on.

鈥淲hen you have so many people from so many different countries鈥擨 couldn't think of anything else that brings people from all over the world together, and this is [what is] so special about the Olympic Games,鈥� she says. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 a great honor to be able to tell the stories of these athletes.鈥�