President Chen Shui-bian (
"The public is waiting for an answer from those parties and politicians who still refuse to resign from their posts in the media," Chen said at a media gathering yesterday to celebrate Journalists' Day.
"We hope that they will stop seeking excuses to delay the reform. Politicians who are hosting talkshow programs on TV should also understand that this is an inappropriate and immature phenomenon," Chen said.
It is ridiculous to see politicians commenting on political events in which they participated, he said.
DPP senior legislator Trong Chai (
Chen said it is easy to promise to abandon vested interests in the media, but many obstacles need to be overcome to fulfill the promise.
"We have suffered many pressures from both outside and inside the ruling party since we vowed to carry out the media reform," Chen said.
He said that some heavyweights in the DPP wanted to slow down the pace of the media reform, so that the party could use its influence to counter reports from media institutions opposed to its point of view.
"However, I insist that the reform is not a long-term platform of the DPP, but also a concern of the public. And more importantly, if we can do it, so can the opposition."
Chen said the first step in the media reform process, especially to remove all political influences on local media, is to successfully restrain party members.
"We hope that all other parties and politicians will stop making excuses to stall the reform," Chen said.
"Every day that they try to keep their hold on the media will be one more reason for the public to laugh at them," the president said.
As to what suggestions the president has for the media on Journalists' Day, Chen said that he and his administration respect the role of the media, and that the government needs to create a better environment to protect the freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
"But I think the local media can put more effort into reporting global issues and international events, rather than insignificant local gossip and sensational news," he said
"The media must also clearly draw a line between their news reports and commentary," he said.
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