A politician exits a political function, smiling and waving to supporters. As he enters the washroom alone, his face darkens and assumes an ominous appearance. He leans over the sink and snarls into the mirror. Suddenly his head morphs into that of a pig, and we are given a glimpse of the politician's true nature: a swine at the trough. So goes the recent television ad campaign for Next magazine (
It is no coincidence that Next developed in Hong Kong, an entertainment hub of Asia capable of suppling endless material for the tabloids.
Until fairly recently, Hong Kong was thought of as an ideology-free city, a place to do business but not a fertile breeding ground for meaningful political debate. Where the power of an old-style colonialism once squashed any incipient development of political or national identity, now the authority of a new-style imperialism is trying to ensure that newspapers tow the party line.
Lai's other paper, Apple Daily (
After an extravagant ad campaign, the first double issue of Next magazine finally made it to the newsstands in Taiwan, and promptly sold out in about four hours.
The arrival of Next magazine coincides with a vigorous local debate about the role of the media in Taiwan's evolving political consciousness. More than a decade after the lifting of martial law and the loosening of KMT control of media organs, there is still a deep concern about the impartiality and objectivity of the media. Hardly a day goes by without another virulent newspaper editorial bemoaning the irresponsibility of journalists, or legislators, or both. Following the incident between The Journalist magazine and Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), and certain recent invasions of the privacy of the first family, readers and writers alike have been given an opportunity to reflect on the price of free speech and expected standards in journalism.
Thus, there has been concern about the impact Next might have on the quality of journalistic discourse in Taiwan. Taking a cue from Next, the normally stodgy United Evening News (
However, stuck in the quagmire of political affiliations and loyalties, Taiwan's media really has its hands tied when it comes to reporting impartial news. Next magazine, on the other hand, is singularly driven by a completely undiscerning desire for profit. Who knows, maybe given its lack of party affiliation and repudiation of political ideology, Next will pioneer a new era of objectivity in news reporting in Taiwan. Won't that be the day!
But seriously, I don't think that Next really poses that much of a threat to important political discourse here. And while Next might not live up to the scandal-busting image conveyed in its advertising, with year-end elections threatening to return the same motley crew of gangsters and thugs to the legislature, a magazine with a mission to be nosy and irreverent might be a very welcome addition indeed.
Michael St. Louis is a freelance writer based in Taipei.
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