`Next' is no threat to standard of journalism

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 (壹週刊), Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai's (黎智英) shot at a piece of the entertainment news market in Taiwan. Already infamous in Hong Kong for its sensationalist, paparazzi-coverage style, Next has titillated, shocked and outraged readers with its scandal-mongering exposes on the private lives of politicians and celebrities.

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 (蘋果日報), has won the largest circulation in Hong Kong through its attention-grabbing headlines, features of celebrity dirt or startling criminal cases, and graphic pictures and detailed diagrams on the development of scandal. This entertaining -- if rather philistine -- approach to news seems to be the perfect distraction for the busy Gucci-clad urbanite.

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 (聯合晚報) ran a cover story about the fire on Nanjing East Road, with a full-frontal picture of a naked foreigner taking a photograph from his hotel room across the street!

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!