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`Next' magazine agrees to apologize in libel case

Chiayi County Commissioner Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) said yesterday that the media should throughly fact-check information before reporting it to prevent jeopardizing innocent people with irresponsible coverage.

Chen made the remark yesterday following a settlement he reached in court on Monday evening with Next magazine. The magazine had printed a report which insinuated that he was having an affair with female Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chang Hua-kuan (張花冠).

According to the settlement, Next will publish a letter of apology in its forthcoming edition admitting the report was false and expressing regret for damaging Chen's reputation.

"The apology letter will clear my name, and I have agreed to withdraw both criminal and civil lawsuits," Chen said.

Chen told the Taipei Times yesterday that the magazine's report that he and Chang entered his residence at night alone was incorrect. Chen said he provided a tape to prosecutors showing that Chang went to his residence with other friends to attend a party.

The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office indicted Next executive editor Pei Wei (裴偉) for libel last May after Chen brought criminal charges.

If the court had found Pei guilty, he would have faced a maximum jail term of two years. In addition to the criminal charge, Chen also filed a civil action with the court.

A legal office advisor of Next, Yeh His-po (葉錫波), yesterday said the magazine saw little chance of winning the lawsuit.

Next has been heavily criticized for intruding on the private lives of celebrities. It has been sued for libel several times, including once after a report claiming that former DPP Legislator Yeh Yi-chin (葉宜津) had dated a Ministry of the Interior official. Yeh's lawsuit is still pending.
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