Government Information Office (GIO) Director General Arthur Iap (葉國興) came under the media spotlight again yesterday when he had a furious quarrel with a PFP lawmaker on the floor of the legislature over the controversial policy of "embedded marketing."
Last month the GIO announced it would integrate government agencies' resources to buy air time and advertisement space to promote government initiatives.
PFP Legislator Diane Lee (李慶安) railed at the GIO's promotional approach during an interpellation yesterday morning, saying that the government is using money to bring the media to its knees and is trampling on the freedom of the press.
Iap said that vilifying government policies in such a way was a misfortune for all the people in the nation. He said promoting government initiatives is different from running ads or commercials because it had nothing to do with individual benefits.
Lee said the government's first NT$200 million program to promote its policies will be aired May 1. She said the program names, the contents and guests are decided by the government.
"Are news programs wrapped up in this kind of package not the same as ads?" she asked.
Lee said the government's use of taxpayers' money to air commercials promoting its policies was a serious abuse of the freedom of the press.
Iap did not receive any support from DPP lawmakers.
During the interpellation session DPP Legislator Lo Wen-chia (
TV channel operators are required not to commercialize their programs, but now the GIO takes the lead in producing promotional advertisements, Lo said.
The government will find it hard to explain this to the public, he said.
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