GIO tells national daily to downsize or face shutdown

The head of the Government Information Office (GIO) has told the Taiwan Shin Wen Daily News (台灣新聞報) in Kaohsiung that if it cannot turn a profit soon, the government-owned paper may be shut down, it was reported yesterday.

During a meeting with the newspaper's top officials over the weekend, GIO chief Chao Yi (趙怡) said the Kaohsiung-based newspaper, currently in the red, had to make a turn around and begin generating a profit.

Chao suggested that the national daily be downsized into a local paper and merged with the Taiwan Shin Sheng Daily News (台灣新生報) based in Taipei, sources said.

The GIO took over ownership of the two papers from the downsized Taiwan provincial government last year.

The Taiwan Shin Wen Daily News recently published some articles in support of former provincial governor and current independent presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜), which did not sit well with government officials, according to sources.

In response to Chao's suggestions, officials at the paper said they plan to lay off 100 employees and try to turn the daily around.

However, Chao said it would be better to lay off closer to 200 employees to get the paper back into the black again.