Veteran media figures and political observers said yesterday that government officials should not use the media as a tool to disclose false or unnecessary information.
They made the comments at a conference held to evaluate whether local media crossed the line when covering President Chen Shui-bian's (
The conference, entitled "Media Freedom and National Security," was held by the Broadcasting Development Fund and primarily aimed to discuss possible guidelines for the media to follow when dealing with news concerning national security.
Most participants at the event felt the media had not acted out of line when reporting on Chen's trip.
Media figures present at the conference were all experienced political commentators.
Hsu Yung-ming (
However, the government has the right to keep certain information secret to prevent China from exerting too much pressure on the host nation, Hsu said.
The problem is that there is a lack of communication between Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials and the media, he said.
"The media is often used as a tool by the ministry to disclose information, and at times, false information," Hsu said. "The media should not be used in this way."
Political commentator Chen Li-hung (
One official might reveal information about a colleague to the media, which did not mind being used because it would mean getting a scoop, said Chen, himself a seasoned journalist.
"Because of commercialization, the media is very competitive and is often criticized by officials for this reason," he said. "But the government has done nothing concrete to regulate the media either."
"Also, the media is blamed for reporting classified information even when officials themselves disclose the details," Chen said.
Chen added that certain reporters had very close relationships with national security and foreign ministry officials and so were able obtain classified information from them.
The media should put national security before commercial competition, even if the information is handed to them, he said.
Political commentator and veteran media figure Yang Hsien-hung (
"As long as the media pursues values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights and reports for the wellbeing of the public, then the media will not pose a threat to national security," Yang said.
Connie Lin (
News reports should not only be focused on guessing Chen's destinations, Lin said.
For example, the media reported negatively about Chen's decision to transit in Libya. But afterwards, when the US announced that it would reestablish ties with Libya, the media did not acknowledge that Chen may made the visit because he knew of the US plan beforehand, she said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost