Media Watch chairman Kuang Chung-hsiang (管中祥) said yesterday there was a risk that media would focus on the trauma of Typhoon Morakot but neglect the underlying issues behind the disaster.
“In their coverage of the disaster caused by Typhoon Morakot, the media seem to be taking advantage of tragedy and turning the victims into [profits]” by using their stories to boost viewer ratings, Kuang told the Taipei Times in a telephone interview. “They ask reporters to risk their lives to go into devastated areas and advertise the reports as ‘exclusive’ to boost their viewership.”
“On Monday, the Apple Daily even put a huge picture of the bodies of victims on its front page, which made many readers, including the families of the victims, uncomfortable,” he said.
Although some news programs and political commentary shows are scrutinizing the government’s response, “they are not looking at the long-term problems that lead to disasters, such as the quality of public infrastructure and water management,” Kuang said.
If the government makes promises to improve the situation, the media needs to follow it up, he said.
Media Reform Taiwan member Cheng Kuo-wei (鄭國威) said media were neglecting key questions.
“What obstructed the flow of rivers? Who built the embankments along riverbanks? Who permitted constant digging of sandstone [from river beds] and changed the course of rivers? Who used up underground water? Who allocated all the resources to cities, leaving death and injury for the countryside? Why is it that elderly people and children are left to save themselves when disasters strike rural areas?” Cheng said.
Cheng said the media and the public need to pay attention to infrastructure and water management projects. While the media broadcast nonstop footage of tearful villagers, no one is talking about the effects of construction and high-altitude agriculture on the natural mountain vegetation and the role this plays in flooding.
“Knowing why something happens and preventing it from happening” again should be a top priority, he said.
Meanwhile, National Communications Commission (NCC) Chairwoman Bonnie Peng (彭芸) issued a statement on Tuesday recognizing the role of media in rescue efforts.
However, while it is positive that TV news correspondents gather information about the situation, media outlets should try to verify reports before airing them.
Jason Ho (何吉森), director of the NCC’s communications content department, said one TV station had reported that 30 corpses were spotted floating down a river, then said 15 minutes later that the report was wrong.
Peng said TV stations should also inform viewers whether footage they air is a live broadcast of the current situation.
Viewers “need to know if the roads that were blocked are now accessible or if the trapped victims have been rescued,” Ho said.
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