Poor quality news media is isolating the country

The stronger the pursuit of commercial interests is for Taiwanese broadcasters, the more garbage is thrown at consumers. Today, our news broadcasts cover sensational stories and pieces on the private lives of celebrities. Broadcasters compete with one another for stories such as an entertainer receiving a big diamond ring or having an affair. As I witness the bizarre sensationalism of our news programs, I can't help but wonder, "What have entertainers' private lives got to do with me?"

It is not that entertainment news should not be reported. But the media should at least take the proportion and the principle of public welfare into consideration, and balance the coverage with all kinds of news. Today, the most serious problem of Taiwan's television news is the the lack of international news.

Except for major incidents such as the terrorist attacks in London, we seldom see world news on TV. As a result, it is impossible for us to receive information on global affairs from domestic news stations, with the exception of the Public Television Service (PTS).

How many of us have watched detailed news reports on the referendums on the EU constitution? How many are aware of the recent development in the Middle East, or the political crisis in the Philippines? Broadcasters shouldn't be trying to make everyone an expert on international affairs, but it should be held responsible for depriving the Taiwanese people of basic information about international affairs.

In 1957, famous Japanese commentator Oya Soichi criticized TV as the "intellectual scourge of 100 million Japanese," attacking the local media for repeatedly delivering vulgar messages to their viewers at that time. His criticism once caused a strong response from Japan's society. Looking back at the phenomenon in Taiwan, what hides behind our media is in fact a childishness, and a society that tends to look away from reality.

This social trend is pushing Taiwan toward a kind of "de-internationalization." We often hear the opposition parties criticizing Taiwan for being a so-called "closed country." But nobody has blamed the media for causing this problem.

We still remember that when President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) first came to power in 2000, he boasted about leading the nation to "stand up," but if we take a look at the current state of media in this country, most of what we see is celebrity gossip. It is if Taiwan is about to disappear from the world.

Chang Bao-yuan is an organizer of the Hand-in-Hand to Safeguard Taiwan Alliance.

TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG