The Media Monitor Alliance yesterday demanded that two editors-in-chief at CTI TV and ETtoday step down for their mishandling of the rumored extramarital affair between TV anchorpersons, seeking to undo the damage wrought by the scandal's report on the entire journalism profession.
Coming on the heels of the tabloid Next Magazine's report at the end of last month, CTI TV, ETtoday, and other cable TV news stations started relentlessly reporting on former TVBS sportscaster Cheng Sheng-hung (陳勝鴻) and TVBS-N news channel anchorwoman Pan Yen-fei (潘彥妃).
Last Saturday, Pan quit her job and published a remorseful confession in several newspapers, saying that she will go abroad for a long time.
Media hype
The media hype on celebrity gossip brought back to the fore the longstanding problem of Taiwan's news network, the alliance said.
"Profit-minded media usually chase news of no public interest at the expense of people's privacy," the alliance's secretary-general Connie Lin (林育卉) said at a press conference yesterday.
The alliance estimated that the frivolous reporting may help ETtoday cash in on advertising revenue estimated at NT$44,064,000.
CTI TV, which devoted between 20 to 40 percent of its prime time to coverage on the love affair, may also reap NT$26,928,000 in a single day.
Newsworthy
The alliance demanded that ETtoday's editor-in-chief Chen Kuao-jun (陳國君) and CTI TV's news chief inspector Liao Fu-shun (廖福順) openly profess how they had judged the event to be newsworthy, apologize for wrongdoing, and tender their resignations.
"It [the damage done] is a rude wake-up call for the press," Lin said.
The media watchdog group also sent letters of accusation to the Taipei City Government about the Chinese-language newspapers China Times and Apple Daily's coverage of the sex scandal.
"It is about time that Taiwan's erratic media holds a mirror to itself and does some introspection," she said.
Despite agreeing on the necessity of the media's self-restraint, media experts also voiced differing opinions on how to build a more ethical media.
"The government can push ahead with legislation to govern the media," said Lu Shih-hsiang (盧世祥), founder of the Foundation for the Advancement of Media Excellence.
"Also, the Government Information Office can fine unscrupulous TV stations under the Broadcasting and Television Law (廣電法)," Lu added.
Press freedom
"Freedom of the press does not take precedence over the public interest and personal privacy. What's more significant, the freedom of the press cannot be used as an excuse to harm people with impunity," Lu said, referring to the ferocious media pursuit of the kidnap victim Pai Hsiao-yen (白曉燕) in 1997 and Chu Mei-feng's (璩美鳳) sex VCD scandal in 2002.
While some suggested that the government take a more active role, others urged caution in negotiating the minefield of the often-opposing interests of the media and the government.
"Freedom of speech is the core value of journalism. The government should not be in the position to impose stricter regulations just because the media has performed badly," said Ku Lin-lin (谷玲玲), associate professor at National Taiwan University's Graduate School of Journalism.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and