August 6-12, 2012
Headline News
Social organizations protest against “Media Monsters” and false news reports
Reported by Lin Yi-ying
Written by Lydia Ma
Various non-governmental organizations in Taiwan gathered in front of the National Communications Commission (NCC) on August 1, 2012 to protest its conditional approval of WantWant/China Times Group’s acquisition of China Network Systems (CNS). The acquisition means that WantWant will henceforth own 11 cable TV services belonging to CNS. Delegates from more than a dozen of organizations were present at this protest, including Association of Taiwan Journalists, Judicial Reform Foundation, Amnesty International Taiwan, and Taiwan Labor Front.
Protesters demanded a thorough investigation of WantWant Group on various charges of false reporting. There are allegations that WantWant has used its networks, magazines, and newspapers to launch an attack on various legislators, scholars, and students who are opposed to the merger, which has led to public outrage. One renown movie director Wang Hsiao-ti created a new event via Facebook called “You are so big and I am so afraid!” in response to WantWant’s increasing control of media. This event encourages participants to boycott all WantWant programs and goods. This event has garnered support from renowned artists, academics and writers. Some writers went as far as saying they would stop writing articles for China Times’ blog. Furthermore, a protest will be staged on September 1 by the Association of Taiwan Journalists.
More than 700 students from 32 campus organizations affiliated with National Taiwan University, National Cheng Kung University (NTU), National Tsing-Hua University, and Fu-Jen Catholic University gathered at the front plaza of CTITV station on July 31. Professors from NTU stressed that WantWant will control one-third of cable networks in Taiwan because of this merger, which will greatly determine what programs are broadcast. Such a concentration of power will severely affect freedom of speech and democratic development in Taiwan as well as undermine the diversity of television programs.
However, one of the greatest concerns people have about this acquisition is the controversial chairman of WantWang Group, Tsai Eng-meng. Not only is he known for his close relationship with the Chinese government, but also for being Beijing’s favorite Taiwanese businessman. Furthermore, WantWant subsidiary businesses draw 90% of their profits from investments in China and the corporation’s capital flow is anything but transparent.
Tsai stirred controversy and public backlash in Taiwan a few months ago during an interview with the Washington Post whereby he said that “reports of a massacre at Tiananmen Square were not true”. He was also quoted for saying that “China is very democratic in many aspects” and “whenever reporters write articles, they should consider the ramifications.” Such rhetoric has prompted people to suspect that Tsai is the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece
As a member of “Alliance against Media Monsters” and the General Secretary of Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare, Yeh Ta-hua said that Christians ought to be concerned about social issues of the day. She encouraged Christians to talk about these incidences of social injustice during fellowship meetings. She remembered that PCT campus fellowships used to invite speakers to talk to youths in the past. These speakers would often be leaders of various social movements and their insights played a great role in encouraging church youths to be socially active.
Yeh urged more Christians to speak out against the media monopoly of WantWant Group in Taiwan, which aspires to be the main provider of cable TV services. She advised people to boycott WantWant products as a means of forcing this corporation to relent. Yeh said that Christians who speak out against this trend will be admired by others and they will truly be the “light and salt of the world”.
Photo by Lin Yi-ying
