Taiwan ranked 35th in this year’s World Press Freedom Index, up from 38th last year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said yesterday, but added that its journalists suffer from a “very polarized environment dominated by sensationalism and pursuit of profit.”
Taiwan moved up due to changes in other countries’ rankings, not because the environment facing Taiwanese journalists has improved, said Aleksandra Bielakowska, RSF advocacy officer of the East Asia Bureau.
“Journalists in Taiwan still suffer from media polarization, sensationalism and pressure from media owners, making it difficult to conduct quality reporting,” Bielakowska said.
Photo: Wu Cheng-feng, Taipei Times
Taiwan does not have to look far for positive examples for press freedom, she said.
Timor-Leste and New Zealand, both in the Asia-Pacific region, ranked No. 10 and No. 13 respectively in terms of press freedom, she added.
“Taiwan is indeed a great democracy and the level of press freedom remains at the top tier, but I believe Taiwan could do much better if a few changes were applied to the media environment,” RSF East Asia Bureau director Cedric Alviani said.
However, none of the two main political parties in Taiwan have shown a willingness to seriously engage in improving the media environment, he said.
While the government has recognized disinformation as a major threat for Taiwan, nothing sufficient has been done to address the mistrust in the news media, Alviani said.
“We are calling on the Taiwanese government and political parties to work together and improve the situation before the upcoming presidential and legislative elections, in which major risks to democracy are involved,” he said.
The annual survey among journalists in 180 countries identified Norway, Ireland and Denmark as the top three nations where press freedom is in a “good condition.”
Norway topped the ranking for the seventh consecutive year, while Ireland entered the top three for the first time.
These countries have very low social acceptance of any conflict of interests, whether the issue is about journalists, media order or media outlets, Alviani said.
“This allows journalists to focus on the work without compromising the quality and integrity of their work,” he said.
However, except some European countries, the condition of press freedom in most nations were “satisfactory,” “problematic,” “difficult” or “very serious,” the list showed.
Vietnam, China and North Korea ranked 178th, 179th and 180th on the ranking respectively. It was China’s lowest ranking since the survey began in 2002.
“North Korea is more closed than China. However, China’s rhetoric, logic and method of repressing journalists under [Chinese] President Xi Jinping (習近平) has become closer to that employed by North Korea,” Alviani said.
“The only silver lining is that the control of media in China has become so extreme that it might be difficult for China to keep exporting its model of information control to other countries,” he said.
Bielakowska said that 114 journalists were imprisoned or detained in China, making it the world’s largest jailer of journalists.
Chinese independent journalist Huang Xueqin (黃雪琴) was not given a fair trial before she was tortured and imprisoned for more than a year, she said.
More journalists in China are being imprisoned after being accused of threatening national security and subverting the government, including Australian-Chinese Cheng Lei (成蕾), Australian-Chinese commentator Yang Hengjun (楊恆均) and Swedish-Chinese publisher Gui Minhai (桂明海), Bielakowska said.
Press freedom in Hong Kong has deteriorated so much that it has become almost impossible to report government affairs independently, she said.
Journalists in Hong Kong could get life imprisonment for contravening the Hong Kong National Security Law, such as Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai (黎智英), she added.
WHEELING AND DEALING? Hou You-yi, Ko Wen-je, Eric Chu and Ma Ying-jeou are under investigation for allegedly offering bribes for the other side to drop out of the race Taipei prosecutors have started an investigation into allegations that four top politicians involved in attempts to form a “blue-white” presidential ticket have contravened election regulations. Listed as defendants are Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the KMT and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). The case stemmed from judicial complaints filed last month with the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office alleging that the KMT (blue) and the TPP (white) had engaged in bribery by offering money or other enticements
EXPOSED: Some Taipei wardens reported joining the trips out of peer pressure, while others said they were relieved it was made public so they could refuse, a city councilor said Nearly 30 percent of Taipei borough wardens have joined group tours to China that were partially funded by the Chinese government, leading prosecutors probing potential Chinese interference in January’s elections to question local officials, an investigation showed. Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City councilors Chien Shu-pei (簡舒培) and Chen E-jun (陳怡君) have reported cases of Taipei borough wardens inviting residents to join inexpensive privately organized group tours to China that were partially funded by the Chinese government. The six-day trips reportedly cost NT$10,000 to NT$15,000, the councilors said. An investigation by the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) showed that nearly 30 percent
ELIGIBLE FOR JANUARY: All presidential candidates and their running mates meet the requirements to run for office, and none hold dual citizenship, the CEC said Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator and vice presidential candidate Cynthia Wu (吳欣盈) is working with the Central Election Commission (CEC) to resolve issues with her financial disclosure statement, a spokesman for the candidate said yesterday, after the commission published the statements of all three presidential candidates and their running mates, while confirming their eligibility to run in the Jan. 13 election. Wu’s office spokesman, Chen Yu-cheng (陳宥丞), said the candidate encountered unforeseen difficulties disclosing her husband’s finances due to being suddenly thrust into the campaign. She is also the first vice presidential nominee to have a foreign spouse, complicating the reporting of
GOOD NEWS: Although open civic spaces are shrinking in Asia-Pacific countries and territories, Taiwan’s openness is a positive sign, an expert said Taiwan remains the only country in Asia with an “open” civic space for the fifth consecutive year, the Civicus Monitor said in a report released yesterday. The People Power Under Attack 2023 report named Taiwan as one of only 37 open countries or territories out of 198 globally, and the only one in Asia. Compiled by Civicus — a global alliance of civil society organizations dedicated to bolstering civil action — the ranking compiled annually since 2017 measures the state of freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression around the world. Researchers assign each country or territory one of five rankings describing the
RSS