The spate of recent scandals involving the reporting of fake news stories in Taiwan continues to concern media observers. The constant need to pull in readers and viewers has many media outlets fabricating news stories and infringing on the privacy of citizens.
Concerned that Taiwan's media environment is deteriorating, the Lung Ying-tai Cultural Foundation (龍應台文化基金會) has invited three media experts to discuss their thoughts on the meaning of a responsible media in democratic societies.
"Our purpose is to emphasize the importance of creating appropriate journalism ethics," said Katherine Lee (李應平), CEO of the Lung Ying-tai Cultural Foundation.
That may be a tall order. Citing a US study analyzing the effectiveness of teaching news media rules and ethics, Taiwan National University journalism professor Flora Chang (張錦華) said short-term exposure to ethics may not build a solid foundation for ethical behavior, though it may improve reasoning and decision making.
She added that ethical standards could often conflict. "An over-emphasis on media ethics may limit freedom of the press, while [an emphasis on] freedom of the press may endanger national security," she said.
It is a dichotomy that Doreen Weisenhaus is fully aware off. The director of the University of Hong Kong's Journalism and Media Studies Center (JMSC) has written extensively on that Special Administrative Region's Basic Law, especially Article 23 - an anti-subversion clause that many observers feel has the potential to limit the freedom of Hong Kong's notoriously raucous media. Before arriving in Hong Kong, Weisenhaus was legal editor for The New York Times.
The Salon also features Hsu Lu (徐璐), a veteran Taiwanese reporter and current CEO of Chunghwa Telecom Foundation (中華電信基金會). In 1987, Hsu was one of the first reporters in Taiwan (sent by the pro-independence Independence Evening Post (自立晚報) to report in Beijing. Upon her return, the then-Chinese Nationalist government banned her from leaving Taiwan for a year.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) spokesman, Thomas Hodges, will moderate the Salon and help field questions from the audience.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) last week offered us a glimpse of the violence it plans against Taiwan, with two days of blockade drills conducted around the nation and live-fire exercises not far away in the East China Sea. The PRC said it had practiced hitting “simulated targets of key ports and energy facilities.” Taiwan confirmed on Thursday that PRC Coast Guard ships were directed by the its Eastern Theater Command, meaning that they are assumed to be military assets in a confrontation. Because of this, the number of assets available to the PRC navy is far, far bigger
The 1990s were a turbulent time for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) patronage factions. For a look at how they formed, check out the March 2 “Deep Dives.” In the boom years of the 1980s and 1990s the factions amassed fortunes from corruption, access to the levers of local government and prime access to property. They also moved into industries like construction and the gravel business, devastating river ecosystems while the governments they controlled looked the other way. By this period, the factions had largely carved out geographical feifdoms in the local jurisdictions the national KMT restrained them to. For example,
The remains of this Japanese-era trail designed to protect the camphor industry make for a scenic day-hike, a fascinating overnight hike or a challenging multi-day adventure Maolin District (茂林) in Kaohsiung is well known for beautiful roadside scenery, waterfalls, the annual butterfly migration and indigenous culture. A lesser known but worthwhile destination here lies along the very top of the valley: the Liugui Security Path (六龜警備道). This relic of the Japanese era once isolated the Maolin valley from the outside world but now serves to draw tourists in. The path originally ran for about 50km, but not all of this trail is still easily walkable. The nicest section for a simple day hike is the heavily trafficked southern section above Maolin and Wanshan (萬山) villages. Remains of
With over 100 works on display, this is Louise Bourgeois’ first solo show in Taiwan. Visitors are invited to traverse her world of love and hate, vengeance and acceptance, trauma and reconciliation. Dominating the entrance, the nine-foot-tall Crouching Spider (2003) greets visitors. The creature looms behind the glass facade, symbolic protector and gatekeeper to the intimate journey ahead. Bourgeois, best known for her giant spider sculptures, is one of the most influential artist of the twentieth century. Blending vulnerability and defiance through themes of sexuality, trauma and identity, her work reshaped the landscape of contemporary art with fearless honesty. “People are influenced by
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