Several respected figures such as choreographer Lin Hwai-min (
The truth is that all major media outlets have become so deeply involved in the domestic political wrangling that their objectivity is frequently open to question. And to promote their political agenda, some have resorted to fabricating or running unverified stories as front-page news or broadcasting hearsay.
Media outlets are entitled to their own political stance -- as long as they are kept within the editorial and opinion pages, and not masquerading as fact-based, objective news articles.
A glance at a few recent examples shows just how much the local media need to change their work ethics before any more damage is done to the country's fourth estate.
The Chinese-language United Daily News on Aug. 18 ran a front-page story alleging that the president's son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming (
The report, quoting anonymous sources in the jewelry industry, went on to claim that after being released on bail last month, Chao had asked a friend to sell the diamond at a lower price, implying that Chao meant to flee the country.
Threatened with a libel suit by Chao, the paper later issued an apology for failing to verify the facts before running the story.
Something similar also happened not long ago when the Chinese-language China Times published a front-page story alleging that Freddy Lim (
How do these incidents compare with how the international press operates?
Consider Reuters news agency's decision to fire a freelance photographer when it discovered that one of the photographs he took in Beirut had been manipulated using Photoshop software to show more and darker smoke rising from buildings in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike.
Or, veteran newsman Dan Rather's decision to quit as anchor of CBS Evening News after coming under fire for a contentious and disputed report about US President George W. Bush's military service.
Irresponsible reporting not only misleads the public but also harms those in the media who take their jobs seriously and who are concerned about the image and reputation of the country's press.
In the end it's the public that suffers. Pity the readers and viewers who let their blood pressure rise over a fabricated story.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
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