The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday accused the Taipei City Government of suppressing press freedom by threatening the media in an effort to stop it from reporting the city's "scandals."
"While the opposition parties criticize the DPP administration for clamping down on freedom of the press, little does the public know that the Taipei City Government is the one who is actually muzzling the media," DPP caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) said.
Lai cited an article in the latest issue of Eyewitness magazine stating that Taipei Deputy Mayor King Pu-tsung (
Eyewitness is a bi-monthly magazine published by the Association of Taiwan Journalists.
King has also reportedly berated journalists for asking questions he dislikes, or trying to do in-depth investigative reporting on the city government.
Lai also enumerated 15 city government "scandals," including an alleged conspiracy of city police and car thieves in August, corruption in the city's Parking Management Office last month and recent zoning relaxation for the Yangmingshan National Park.
In addition to asking the city government to offer an explanation on those matters, Lai asked the pan-blue camp to use the same standards it applies to the DPP government to look at the city's "repression" of press freedom.
DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (
"Because of King, Ma is a saint in the eyes of Taipei citizens and because of King, all potential negative media exposure about Ma is blocked," Gao said.
Gao requested that TVBS discuss just one of the city government "scandals" on the talk show 2100 Quan Min Kai Jiang (Speaking Your Mind at 2100) to balance its coverage of the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp scandal.
King yesterday dismissed Lai's comments, and asked the DPP and the writer of the Eyewitness article to produce concrete evidence to prove their claims.
King said that the editor of the magazine had made it clear that the article's author does not represent the association's stance.
King also said that he plans to attend a panel discussion organized by the association to address the issue, and that he looks forward to exchanging views with reporters there.
King admitted that he has called up media managers to express concern over the content of some articles, but emphasized that he always "patiently communicates" with reporters before making the call.
"My theory is that if you do not agree with me, we can always get a third person to arbitrate and that person, of course, includes your editor-in-chief," he told reporters.
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