Have you, like us, had enough of watching lots of trivia and bloody clashes, or language and images unsuitable for children (oral sex, incest, blood), every time you turn on your television to watch the news?
Have you, like us, had enough of politicians constantly being described in news reports in polarizing, simplistic terms each time you open your daily newspaper? (PFP Chairman James Soong [
When watching TV commentaries or reading newspaper analyses, do you, like us, feel that every journalist behaves as if he or she is the only one who really understands the main character in their report, the only who really understands their intent, and therefore has free rein to embroider and exaggerate the story? ("Vice President Annette Lu (
Then you should join our campaign to make June 11, next Wednesday, a No News Day -- don't watch or listen to any news reports or news shows or buy any newspapers or magazines, but let yourself have a spiritually unpolluted day.
As the media use a range of exciting, violent and pornographic images to create incessant clashes and polarization, leading to social unrest -- according to a report in Commonwealth magazine last year, the first reaction of viewers and readers of news is that there is no hope for Taiwanese society -- they should not imagine that the general public is incapable of taking action to improve a situation of which we disapprove.
Let's not forget that viewer ratings and circulation are the most important thing to the media. The only way to make the media understand that we do not want this kind of news reporting is to create a spontaneous viewer and reader movement (since monitoring and evaluations are inefficient) to refuse to watch and read them.
If you know that one of your family members or friends is part of a pollster's sample group, send them this column by e-mail and tell them not to watch or read any news on that day.
Don't think that action is futile. If you do, the quality of our media reporting will never see any improvement, and we and our children will always live in a world of conflict and polarization.
If you approve of our ideals, you can do the following:
First, post this appeal on every Internet bulletin board you frequent.
Second, post your signed opinion (you must sign with your real name and position) on message boards to let Taiwanese media know that viewers and readers have reached the point where we can no longer tolerate the media's reporting methods.
Third, enter "No News Day" on the June 11 entry in your calendar to remind yourself that you will not watch or read any news on that day.
The Media Warfare Alliance of Readers and Listeners.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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