Taiwan moved up eight positions to 27th in the latest World Press Freedom Index released Friday by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit organization that focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information.
The index’s top three spots went to Norway, Denmark and Sweden, in that order, with the three Nordic countries considered to have a “good” media environment.
Taiwan’s ranking placed it fourth in the Asia-Pacific region, behind New Zealand, Samoa and East Timor, which were ranked 19th, 20th and 22nd, respectively, but ahead of Australia (39th), South Korea (62nd), Japan (70th) and Thailand (87th).
Photo grab from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) website
“Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is a liberal democracy and the world’s 21st largest economy that generally respects the principles of media freedom,” the RSF said.
Taiwan was among the 37 countries listed in the index as having a “satisfactory” media environment.
However, according to the non-profit organization, Taiwanese journalists “still suffer from a very polarized media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit.”
The RSF also cited a 2022 Reuters Institute survey showing that Taiwanese people have one of the lowest levels of trust in the media among democratic countries, ranking it last in the Asia-Pacific region with a trust score of only 28 percent due to the media’s vulnerability to China’s disinformation.
Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific region is the world’s second most difficult region to practice journalism, the RSF said, indicating that Myanmar, China, North Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan are among the world’s 10 most dangerous countries for media personnel.
Hong Kong is ranked 135th with China 172nd among 180 countries and regions. China has the largest known number of imprisoned journalists in the world at 119, including 10 Hong Kong journalists. The RSF described China as the “world’s largest prison for journalists,” as its regime conducts a campaign of repression against journalism and the right to information worldwide.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS