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IFJ asks China Times to commit to press freedom

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) yesterday urged the China Times Group — owned by the Want Want Group (旺旺集團) — to make a public commitment to press freedom and media independence.

The statement came after Want Want ran reports and advertisements in the Chinese-language China Times and on local news channel CtiTV — both owned by the group — accusing the National Communications Commission (NCC) of abuse of power after its conditional approval of Want Want’s takeover of the China Times Group.

The NCC announced the conditional approval of the takeover on May 27 after a series of public hearings.

The conditions that the NCC imposed on the Want Want Group included the reappointment of board members of two major television stations, China Television Co (CTV) and CtiTV, owned by the China Times Group, assurance of independence for the board of directors of both TV stations, separate advertising, sales and programming departments, the creation of an ethics commission and the regular publication of reports on internal quality control procedures on their respective Web sites.

The Want Want China Times Group also sent legal notifications earlier this month to several journalists and media reform activists threatening to sue them for any critical reporting and remarks about the takeover.

Recipients included Media Watch chairman Kuan Chung-Hsiang (管中祥), Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ) chairman Leon Chuang (莊豐嘉) and Wealth magazine editor Tien Hsi-Ju (田習如).

In reaction, more than 30 media reform and human rights organizations and more than 400 news media workers in the country signed a petition voicing concern that the group’s response to critical commentary and NCC regulation indicated a lack of commitment to journalistic professionalism and independence.

“The Want Want China Times Group’s attempts to intimidate journalists, public commentators and NCC personnel call into question its attitude and commitment to freedom of expression and the value of independent voices in Taiwan,” IFJ Asia-Pacific director Jacqueline Park said in the statement.

“The group needs to recognize that the role of an independent media in a democracy is to provide a diversity of information, news and analysis, and that media business employees must be able to provide this public good without fear of intimidation and legal action,” she said.

“The IFJ joins the ATJ and petition signatories in calling on the owners of the Want Want China Times Group not to override the press freedom standards set by both the NCC and the independent reporting community in Taiwan,” the statement said.
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