【 IFJ Condemns Government Interference in Taiwan Media 】

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has
expressed fears for the independence of Taiwan’s media
after escalating instances of government interference
in state-owned media.

The IFJ has learned that the Government Information
Office (GIO) demanded on September 26 that the state
-owned Central News Agency (CNA) alter reports on the
contaminated milk powder scandal which has engulfed
China.

GIO also demanded that CNA withdraw a report which
criticised President Ma Ying-Jeou, who took office
on May 20 after the Kuomintang (Nationalist) party
won elections in March.

GIO was also implicated recently in a scandal after
the chairman of Radio Taiwan International (RTI),
Taiwan’s state-owned broadcaster, claimed that the
Government had asked RTI not to broadcast reports
that were too critical of China.

RTI chairman Cheng Yu and several independent board
directors of RTI resigned on September 30 in protest
after news reports suggested that GIO and the new
Kuomintang government had put pressure on RTI to
change its editorial focus. GIO denied the reports.

An anonymous source told the IFJ that Taiwan’s
Government was angered by RTI’s frequent criticism
of President Ma Ying-Jeou. RTI has 13 language
services which broadcast worldwide, including into
mainland China.

In another recent development, the Government
appointed Lo Chih-Chiang, a former spokesperson for
President Ma Ying-Jeou’s campaign, to the position
of Deputy President of CNA in early October. The
Kuomintang party also nominated four government
legislators to new positions on the Board of
Supervisors for Taiwan’s Public Television Service.

“Taiwan’s new Government is exhibiting worrying
reflexes towards attempting to control the media,”
IFJ Asia-Pacific said.

“These latest appointments and directives suggest
the Government fails to understand the critical
importance of editorial independence in a democratic
society.”

The IFJ condemns Taiwan’s apparent interference in
state-owned media and urges government authorities
to refrain from further acts that could jeopardise
editorial independence.

原文出處 - 國際記者聯盟

延伸閱讀：
1. WIKI - 中央通訊社
2. WIKI - International Federation of Journalists