The recent replacement of the China Times editor, apparently for snarky remarks about PRC politicians, has sent shockwaves through the local media. Ting-i Tsai with an excellent piece in the WSJ on the issue:About two weeks after one of Taiwan’s leading newspapers, the China Times, published a front-page story that called China’s envoy to Taiwan a “C-list politician,” the paper’s editor-in-chief was replaced.Sure, sure, Taiwan can move closer to China without any effect on its democracy.... As the report notes at the end, self-censorship is already a fact at many local media outlets.
The newspaper said the replacement was a routine rotation. However, it fueled talk at the paper and at the island’s other publications that the move was spurred by anger in China over the story and that it was another sign of China’s increasing clout in Taiwan.
Hsia Chen, former editor in chief of the China Times, had been running the newspaper since early 2008. Later that year, a Hong Kong-listed rice-cracker manufacturer, Want Want China Holding Ltd., acquired it. Tsai Eng-meng, chairman of Want Want, decided to replace Ms. Hsia late last week, according to the paper’s staff.
Tsai, a Taiwanese businessman who has been running business in China for two decades, is well-known for his pro-China position. Since he took the China Times reins, he has publicly reiterated that his newspapers are not supposed to criticize Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou, his administration and the Chinese government. Last August, he further founded a tabloid, the Want Daily, in Taiwan to promote China to the island’s readers.
Since the summer of 2009, Tsai has been complaining that the paper’s news pages are not supportive enough of the governments of Taiwan and China, according to some employees at the paper. In September, the paper’s front-page coverage of the visit of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, whom China considers an enemy, specifically sparked Tsai’s anger, according to some of the paper’s reporters, who declined to be identified. The paper eventually decreased the quantity of reports about the spiritual leader’s visit and moved such coverage to inside pages.
Actually, I am glad that Tsai is destroying the journalistic credibility of the China Times. As pro-China forces increasingly bend the Blue news, people will start moving away from them toward papers that give a more Taiwan-centric view of things.
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Ah, I hope so my friend. I hope so.
ReplyDeleteLong live Free Taiwan!
The China Times actually has a long history of criticism against the government going back to the days of martial law. It has not always been a simply a loyal mouthpiece for the regime. If the owner now wants to influence the direction of the paper in a more pro-government line, then that is his prerogative. Very few newspaper owners simply sit back and let the editor take whatever political line he pleases. This is not equivalent to government censorship.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Taiwan has a very competitive media environment. There are many other source of news. The readers won't like a slavishly pro-China line, and the owner will have to take this into account.
Yes, I am aware of the China Times' criticism of the KMT, and I think that was one of the reasons it retained its readership.
ReplyDeleteRobert Tsai is destroying it. Each time China eats some pillar of history in Taiwan, it makes itself that much less loved.
Ting-i Tsai wrote:
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Since [Tsai Eng-meng] took the China Times reins, he has publicly reiterated that his newspapers are not supposed to criticize Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou, his administration and the Chinese government. Last August, he further founded a tabloid, the Want Daily, in Taiwan to promote China to the island’s readers.
Since the summer of 2009, Tsai has been complaining that the paper’s news pages are not supportive enough of the governments of Taiwan and China, according to some employees at the paper.
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So "nice" of him to admit that the policy of these two birdcage liners is to be nothing but a propaganda rag to begin with.
When are people going to start leaving piles of dog droppings on the news stacks early in the morning to let people know what's really inside?
Tim Maddog
Well, Freedom House has just rated Taiwan as freest in Asia (along with Japan and Sth Korea) so it would seem there's nothing to worry about.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to see this CT episode as anything other than they say it is ie a routine rotation.
The media is free, but there exists no quality media, or balanced media in Taiwan AT ALL. Its like listening to two madmen shouting at each other. You can choose which on you want to listen to, but 5 comparatively sane persons would be better...
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