Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip William Lai (
DPP lawmakers invited to the programs said that they are used as mere props, that guests with pro-unification leanings outnumber those who favor independence and that less time is allocated to them than their counterparts.
Lai said that the media should try to be objective in presenting facts. Lai said the DPP was not the only party to ban members from going on TV programs, as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) banned its members from two pro-independence programs last November.
DPP Legislator Wang Shih-chien (王世堅) said that although he respected the caucus decision, he thought it was making a mountain out of a molehill.
"It is unnecessary and stupid to ban caucus members from the programs, nor is it conducive to the year-end elections," he said.
Wang said the caucus should respect different opinions, and warned the DPP might be the biggest loser if it passes up the chance to explain policies or offer rebuttals to the opposition's false accusations.
DPP Legislator Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) said he respected the caucus' resolution, but hoped that government officials would take the initiative to go on TV programs to promote government policies.
DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) yesterday urged the public to focus on whether TV hosts deal impartially with guests' remarks and whether the shows offer a fair tool of communication and an open public forum.
"The show host Lee Tao (李濤) has been indulging the majority pan-blue lawmakers who beat up pan-green lawmakers on his show, and sometimes he even joins in the verbal battle to help the pan-blues, which is not what a host should do," Lee said.
The media should not spread biased views, he said.
Cabinet spokesman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said the Executive Yuan respected the caucus' decision but that government officials were obligated to defend the government's policies, as long as the TV shows are not too biased.
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