Print

Mail

wiki links

GIO minister rattles saber at media

The Government Information Office (GIO) yesterday said that the "exaggerated" news coverage by many local TV stations of the funeral of veteran gangster Hsu Hai-ching (許海清) likely violated the law, and the office is looking into the matter.

"According to the Broadcasting and Television Law (廣播電視法), media coverage cannot negatively impact the social order, instigate the public to commit crimes, or set a bad example for children," Pasuya Yao (姚文智), minister of the GIO said yesterday at the legislature. "The media characterized Hsu as a hero, a likely violation of the law."

"The GIO will form a committee to look into the matter," Yao told legislators.

"Those broadcasters who violated the law will be fined. The violation will also impact [an offending media outlet's] licensing, which will be examined by the GIO later this year," he said.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said the frenzy of media coverage following the suicide of well-known actor Ni Min-jan (倪敏然) and his funeral service received criticism from members of the public, but the media made no attempts to improve the quality and professionalism of its coverage for Hsu's funeral.

The public and especially children have been negatively influenced by the exaggerated TV coverage, Kuo said.

Yao said some TV stations had already received fines for their extensive and tasteless coverage of Hsu after his death.

Yao added that he had urged the media not cast Hsu as a hero while covering the funeral procession, but some TV stations still went overboard covering the event.

He said reports on Hsu's life would be a bad example for the young, because they would not be able to distinguish between good and evil. About 10,000 black-clad gangsters, friends and family took part in the funeral procession on Sunday as police videotaped them to keep tabs on criminals.

Criminal Investigation Bureau Deputy Commissioner Kao Cheng-sheng (高政昇) told legislators yesterday that the bureau videotaped the entire procession, a which took up more than 60 videotapes. Those records will be helpful for law enforcement officials who are investigating gang members and organized crime rings, he said.

Kao also said that police could not arrest any of the alleged gangsters participating in the funeral without evidence.
This story has been viewed 1756 times.