Media Release : Taiwan October 9, 2008

IFJ Condemns Government Interference in Taiwan Media
IFJ譴責馬政府干預新聞自由

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.

台灣近日傳出多起馬政府干預國家媒體的事件後，國際記者組織(IFJ)今天發布新聞表示，擔心台灣的媒體自主將大受影響。

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.

IFJ獲悉，台灣新聞局曾於9月26日要求國家媒體—中央社，修改一則關於毒奶粉事件的報導，也曾要中央社刪除一篇關於批判馬英九總統的新聞。

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.

新聞局近日也遭指控干預中央廣播電台，要求該電台不能報導過於批判中國的新聞。

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.

央廣董事長鄭優以及多位獨立董事於9月30日請辭，抗議新聞局以及執政黨(國民黨)對央廣施壓、干預新聞編輯。但新聞局否認這項說法。

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.

一位不具名的消息來源對 IFJ 表示，台灣當局對央廣常有批判馬英九的言論感到憤怒。央廣是一家以13種語言對全球廣播的電台，廣播對象包括中國大陸。

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.

此外，中央社副社長職務由羅智強出任。羅智強是馬英九競選總統期間的發言人。國民黨政府亦推舉四名黨籍立委擔任公共電視董事。

“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.”
IFJ亞太辦公室表示，這些事件顯示出台灣新政府意圖控制媒體，而對於媒體下指導棋及人事命令，意味台灣政府不了解新聞自主對於民主國家的重要性。

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.

IFJ譴責台灣當局干預國家媒體的行為，亦強烈要求台灣政府停止這些有礙新聞自主的行徑。

For more information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919