NextTV’s exclusive coverage of a Formosan black bear cub’s release into the wild has violated the journalistic code of ethics, Media Watch and the Taiwan Black Bear Conservation Association said in a joint statement over the weekend.
NextTV anchorwoman Chen Ya-lin (陳雅琳) on Tuesday boarded a helicopter piloted by members of the Ministry of the Interior’s National Airborne Service Corps to transport the cub to where it would be released, despite the Forestry Bureau barring the media from filming the event so that the location could be kept secret.
Chen wore a corps uniform during the trip.
The bureau on Friday said it was collecting evidence to determine whether NextTV had contravened the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法).
“The news channel was entrusted by the Ministry of the Interior with the task of producing a feature story about the event, which has severely disrupted how the cub was released. The government has crossed the line by intervening in the news-gathering process. Having an anchorwoman dress up as a National Airborne Service Corps member to obtain exclusive access to the event by boarding the helicopter and filming the entire process was a complete breach of the journalistic code of ethics,” the groups said.
“We also disagree with Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung’s (徐國勇) statement that the incident was caused by the ministry’s inadequate communications and enforcement of the project,” they said.
NextTV had accepted a request from the corps to film how the agency dispatched UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters after receiving an assignment to produce a feature story on its base of operations in Hualien, the groups said, citing a statement from the bureau on Friday.
This threatens the functions and values of the news media as the fourth estate, which is supposed to monitor the government, the groups said.
NextTV should offer a public apology over the controversy caused by its actions, which contradicts ethics for journalism, the groups said, adding that it should review shortcomings exposed through the incident and prevent similar incidents.
The ministry should consider doing the same, as it has harmed the independence of the news media, they said, adding that it should also disclose information on having entrusted NextTV with the task of producing feature stories on the corps.
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