Addressing Problem Areas
Although the Republic of China's media industry has made
significant accomplishments, particularly over the last decade, serious
deficiencies do exist. Resolving these problems and stimulating future
growth are challenges that both the government and media must face
today.
The rapid expansion of the media has led to over-crowding,
excessive competition, and hyper-aggressiveness. Taiwan, an island of
22 million people, has 80 radio stations, 140 cable television
operators with 70 channels, 360 newspapers, 235 domestic news agencies,
and 5700 magazines. Consequently, both electronic and print media are
now facing fierce competition.
It can be argued that the forces of competition will eventually
solve the problem of media overcrowding, with "survival-of-the-fittest"
thinning out the industry and eventually eliminating excessive
competition. In theory, the best will eventually rise to the top, and
competition will bring the added benefit of introducing innovative
concepts and cultivating resourceful talent, thus improving the overall
progress of the media.
Nonetheless, there are real and significant dangers of allowing
competition alone to act as the driving force in stabilizing an
over-crowded media sector. The media industry is still an industry, and
any industry depends on money. There is no guarantee that the winners
in an industry shake-out will be the best in terms of quality. Rather,
there is the unpleasant likelihood that those companies, which can hold
out the longest in such an intense competition, may simply be those
which have the highest level of financial backing.
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The ROC's TV programs have been classified under four different audiences:
general audiences, protected, parental guidance, and restricted.
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This ominous reality, when further complicated by the global trend
toward consolidations and mergers in the media industry, leads to the
potential for media control by monied special interest groups with
their own economic and political agendas, quite unlikely to serve the
interests of the general public.
The content of Taiwan's programming is far from ideal. There is an
emphasis on sex and violence, which many parents feel is an unhealthy
influence on their children. This is further aggravated by countless
repetitions of male-female conflicts--both verbal and physical--which
impressionable children may conclude is normal and acceptable behavior
for adults. Sitcoms and variety shows have a penchant for combining
mindlessly inane dialogue and generic silliness with poor acting and
sophomoric themes.
However, regardless of mediocre programming, in a free society, it
is not the government's province to dictate the level of broadcasting
standards. Improving the quality of programming content is certainly a
difficult challenge, considering the fact that the media in Taiwan
enjoys an unrestricted freedom of speech.
One positive step is the implementation of a four-level
classification system for television programming. This system greatly
strengthens the need to meet public requirements, as the government
coordinates with private organizations and the media itself to improve
programming content and promote responsible news reporting.
In recent years, Taiwan has enjoyed one of the freest presses in
Asia, recognized by the Freedom House 1998 Press Freedom Report as
among the top category of countries having a free press. Since most of
Taiwan's flourishing media are privately owned, they can air and print
almost anything.
One of the most disturbing facts is that certain news media
organizations, more concerned with sensationalism than truth, practice
such an extreme bias that they distort reality and mislead the public.
Yellow journalism, muck-raking, vulgarity, and irresponsibility of the
press are often at issue in Taiwan, rather than rational discussions on
freedom of the press. Such violations of the media's civic responsibilities
are in direct contradiction to the International Press Institute's basic
objectives of improving the practices of journalism and increasing
understanding between peoples.
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