The first reaction among many of my colleagues to the Government Information Office's (GIO) announcement on Monday that our ETTV News-S channel's license would not be renewed was shock, and then anger and a desire to stage a street protest.
It should go without saying that this is a media freedom issue and we would be justified in taking to the streets. The problem is that the GIO is half right. There is too much sensationalism in Taiwan's news media and our news channels have been part of the problem. There are many aspects of this decision that we do not agree with, but at the end of a post-midnight huddle, we decided to take our lumps and try to learn from this experience -- and to make a commitment that will hopefully improve the overall quality of news channels.
Eastern Broadcasting Co (EBC, which operates the ETTV channels) will abide by the law and we will appeal a decision we believe to be flawed, but we've also decided that the GIO has made some points that we would do well to heed.
In your editorial ("Taiwan's media needs discipline," Aug. 2, page 8), you conclude that you "hope that media proprietors or managers can adopt criteria for dealing with news coverage or programs in a professional and self-disciplined manner to win the support of the general public." We are doing just that.
Like all TV operators in Taiwan, we have wrestled with a desire to produce first-rate news and analysis while dealing with minute-by-minute ratings pressure to show sensationalistic content (which provide a ratings boost). Like our competitors, in far too many instances we have taken the sensationalistic route.
Now, our very survival is at stake. The GIO has made it clear that ETTV News' license renewal is conditional on improving the quality of news coverage and putting self-discipline mechanisms into place. Even as we try to appeal the loss of our other news channel's license, ETTV News will follow through on a promise to be a more responsible news provider and we will try to convince our competitors to join us in establishing an electronic media self-monitoring organization.
For many of us at EBC, it is with one part anxiety and one part excitement that we embark on this mission to develop a more mature and responsible brand of media freedom. Will our changes gain the support of the general public, or will we suffer reduced ratings? ETTV News-S is no longer available, but ETTV News is still on cable. Please stay tuned to watch this story unfold.
Jacques van Wersch
Taipei
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