Amid mounting criticism over a government practice of buying ads in print publication disguised to look like news reports, the Executive Yuan yesterday proposed a non-binding measure to address the issue.
Rather than having it listed on the agenda of yesterday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, the issue was brought up during a free discussion when Government Information Office (GIO) Minister Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) presented “a set of notes for advertising and promotion policy” toward the end of the meeting.
The proposal suggested that government agencies should not use the practice of “product placement,” also known as advertorials or embedded marketing, in print and electronic media. Government agencies should refrain from placing embedded marketing ads aimed at promoting agency chiefs or their policies in the form of news stories, news features, news programs or news tickers, the proposal suggested.
The proposal also suggested that government agencies be banned from attaching conditions to procuring ads that require media that win the bids to have their reporters cover the ad-placing agencies’ activities or report on events they hold.
Product placements in media by the government “should not be politically motivated,” the GIO said.
Government agencies are allowed to carry out paid advertising to promote policies either by publishing newspaper ads, placing newspaper supplements or commissioning electronic media to produce programs, but they are required to have their names shown in the proper context, the GIO said.
Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) approved the proposal and instructed at the meeting that it be forwarded to all government agencies at central and local levels for their reference.
According to the Legal Affairs Committee under the Executive Yuan, the directives dictated by Wu will be presented in the form of “administrative rules,” which are not legally binding.
“We wish government agencies can comply with the notes after they receive [the administrative rules],” Chiang said.
When asked by reporters how to ensure that government agencies follow or whether they would be disciplined if they fail to obey the rules, Chiang said: “Every agency chief shall be held responsible for [the proposal’s] implementation.”
“Before the rules are written into law, the [Executive Yuan] will rely on government agencies to exercise self-discipline in compliance with the rules,” he said.
Chiang said the GIO is neither a government agency nor a supervisory organ for print media because the nation annulled the Publishing Act (出版法) in 1999. The management of electronic media falls under the authority of the National Communication Commission (NCC).
The NCC will soon propose amendments to the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法) and Radio and Television Act (廣播電視法) to regulate the practice of advertorial placement in electronic media, Chiang said.
As for regulations concerning embedded marketing by government in print media, Chiang said some had suggested banning government agencies from using public funds to place advertorials by amending the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) and the Budget Act (預算法).
“[The Executive Yuan] has asked governing agencies [of the Government Procurement Act and Budget Act] to deliberate the suggestion,” Chiang said, referring to the Public Construction Commission and the Ministry of Finance, which govern the two acts, respectively.
Taiwan yesterday expelled four China Coast Guard vessels that entered Taiwan-controlled restricted waters off Lienchiang County (Matsu) shortly after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced the start of its “Joint Sword-2024B” drills around Taiwan. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a statement that it had detected two China Coast Guard ships west of Nangan Island (南竿) and another two north of Dongyin Island (東引) at 8am yesterday. After Chinese ships sailed into restricted waters off Matsu shortly afterward, the CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch deployed four patrol vessels to shadow and approach the vessels, it said. The incidents pushed up to 44 the number
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
Renovations on the B3 concourse of Taipei Main Station are to begin on Nov. 1, with travelers advised to use entrances near the Taiwan Railway or high-speed rail platforms or information counter to access the MRT’s Red Line. Construction is to be completed before the end of next year, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said last week. To reduce the impact on travelers, the NT$95 million (US$2.95 million) project is to be completed in four stages, it said. In the first stage, the hall leading to the Blue Line near the art exhibition area is to be closed from Nov. 1 to the end
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
RSS