An online petition calling for the control of false news reports and urging self-regulation by the media has garnered 765 signatures since its launch on Thursday.
The petition was launched by students and faculty at National Taiwan Normal University’s Graduate Institute of Mass Communication.
Institute student Hsiung Huan-chun (熊煌均), one of the petition’s organizers, said that producing and releasing false reports is not only unprofessional, but unethical.
Photo: Tan Wei-cheng, Taipei Times
Producing fake news amounts to “using a public tool to promote your own interests,” he said.
The petition originally targeted only students and teachers of journalism and mass communication, but was later changed to include all members of the public who want to participate, he said.
It was launched two days after the National Communications Commission (NCC) fined CtiTV News (中天新聞) NT$1 million (US$32,441) for failing to fact-check its reporting in accordance with the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法).
“As teachers and students of journalism and mass communication, we believe media outlets must adhere to their professional code of ethics,” the petition says.
As the fourth estate, media should strive to be socially responsible by producing unbiased stories based on verified information, it says.
“The freedom of the press should never be used as an excuse for releasing untrue reports,” it adds.
To improve the nation’s news quality, the NCC should mete out penalties to media outlets “whenever necessary,” the petitions says.
To prevent disputes and ensure the commission’s neutrality, the process of reviewing unverified news must be transparent and the standards must be the same, it says.
Members of the public should also supervise media outlets by boycotting those that release unverified reports, the petition says.
“Reporting facts is a basic responsibility of the media,” National Chung Cheng University professor of communications Hu Yuan-hui (胡元輝) said.
The NCC completed the legislation to fine news outlets that spread false reports two years ago, but did not mete out heavy fines until last week, he said.
The commission should set down more concrete standards for imposing fines and make improvements as it gains more experience in handling fake news, Hu said.
While cracking down on fake news could undermine freedom of speech, “it is the lesser of two evils,” he added.
When freedom of speech is used to defame others or invade people’s privacy, it also has to be restricted, Hu added.
Additional reporting by Ann Maxon
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