By Cedric AlvianiReporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on Taiwan’s presidential candidates and political parties to make a firm, non-partisan commitment to strengthening public media and independent journalism to protect Taiwan from disinformation. The original report, a hoax from China, could not have gone viral without the inadvertent assistance of several Taiwanese media outlets and political commentators that failed their fact-checking duties and made the “fake news” look genuine. It is no secret that the Taiwanese media sector is plagued by sensationalism, undeclared advertising and an unhealthy “blue-green” political polarization that hinders journalism in its role as a balancing power, stirring public distrust. Left without proper safeguards, the Taiwanese media sector could become a threat to the very democratic institutions it should seek to protect. In a democracy, the underfunding of the public media incurs a hidden cost that far exceeds the apparent financial saving.

Source: Taipei Times December 16, 2019 16:07 UTC