In 2004, the competitive and outspoken Taiwanese press reported critically on the government, corruption, and world affairs. Taiwanese journalists faced largely economic pressures, and the highly partisan coverage of a contentious election year raised questions about financial and political influence over the press.

For decades, Taiwan's media were under the direct control of the Kuomintang (KMT, or nationalist party). The election of President Chen Shui-bian in 2000 ended more than 50 years of undisputed KMT rule. New media ownership laws – passed in 2003 and implemented in 2004 – forced political parties to sell their media stocks and were widely seen as a positive step. But CPJ sources said the laws did little to check the growing economic influence of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which was under the leadership of Chen until the party's December legislative election losses.

In September, a pro-KMT think tank released a report charging that the DPP was financially manipulating the media, rewarding pro-DPP outlets with government advertising and financing from the state-controlled banking system. It also alleged that cronyism has been at play in the elevation of DPP supporters to the helms of major broadcast media outlets.

In October, the president sued television talk show host Jaw Shao-kong for civil libel, disputing an assertion that Taiwan had given US$1 million to former Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso. Jaw is a former political rival of Chen, and the suit appeared to be an effort by the president to punish his longtime adversary. Local journalists feared that the case would have a chilling effect. Jaw countersued, and both cases were pending at year's end.

News coverage was dominated by the March presidential election, which Chen narrowly won. There was a failed assassination attempt against the president and Vice President Annette Lu just before the poll, and KMT supporters alleged that the DPP had staged the shooting to gain sympathy votes. On April 10, protesters demonstrating against Chen's re-election outside the presidential office attacked 14 journalists. At least one, cameraman Huang Hsin-hao of Era News, was hospitalized.

Tensions remained high with mainland China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province and has threatened to take the territory by force. As a result, Chen's government is very sensitive about media coverage of military and security affairs, and repressive national-security laws remain on the books. In August, Taiwan's High Court upheld the sedition conviction of reporter Hung Che-cheng of the now defunct paper Jin Pao (Power News). The case stemmed from Hung's 2000 article revealing that a Chinese warship had entered the Taiwan Straits during Chen's inauguration that year. Hung's 18-month prison sentence was reduced to 12 months and suspended indefinitely.

In June, Taiwan temporarily denied a visa to a reporter assigned to Taipei by the Chinese government-run People's Daily, apparently in retaliation to proposed Chinese economic sanctions against Taiwan. Taiwan still bans broadcasts from China's state-owned China Central Television, which were suspended in 2003 in response to China's refusal to broadcast Taiwanese television stations.

In 2004, the competitive and outspoken Taiwanese press reported critically on the government, corruption, and world affairs. Taiwanese journalists faced largely economic pressures, and the highly partisan coverage of a contentious election year raised questions about financial and political influence over the press.

For decades, Taiwan's media were under the direct control of the Kuomintang (KMT, or nationalist party). The election of President Chen Shui-bian in 2000 ended more than 50 years of undisputed KMT rule. New media ownership laws – passed in 2003 and implemented in 2004 – forced political parties to sell their media stocks and were widely seen as a positive step. But CPJ sources said the laws did little to check the growing economic influence of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which was under the leadership of Chen until the party's December legislative election losses.

In September, a pro-KMT think tank released a report charging that the DPP was financially manipulating the media, rewarding pro-DPP outlets with government advertising and financing from the state-controlled banking system. It also alleged that cronyism has been at play in the elevation of DPP supporters to the helms of major broadcast media outlets.

In October, the president sued television talk show host Jaw Shao-kong for civil libel, disputing an assertion that Taiwan had given US$1 million to former Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso. Jaw is a former political rival of Chen, and the suit appeared to be an effort by the president to punish his longtime adversary. Local journalists feared that the case would have a chilling effect. Jaw countersued, and both cases were pending at year's end.

News coverage was dominated by the March presidential election, which Chen narrowly won. There was a failed assassination attempt against the president and Vice President Annette Lu just before the poll, and KMT supporters alleged that the DPP had staged the shooting to gain sympathy votes. On April 10, protesters demonstrating against Chen's re-election outside the presidential office attacked 14 journalists. At least one, cameraman Huang Hsin-hao of Era News, was hospitalized.

Tensions remained high with mainland China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province and has threatened to take the territory by force. As a result, Chen's government is very sensitive about media coverage of military and security affairs, and repressive national-security laws remain on the books. In August, Taiwan's High Court upheld the sedition conviction of reporter Hung Che-cheng of the now defunct paper Jin Pao (Power News). The case stemmed from Hung's 2000 article revealing that a Chinese warship had entered the Taiwan Straits during Chen's inauguration that year. Hung's 18-month prison sentence was reduced to 12 months and suspended indefinitely.

In June, Taiwan temporarily denied a visa to a reporter assigned to Taipei by the Chinese government-run People's Daily, apparently in retaliation to proposed Chinese economic sanctions against Taiwan. Taiwan still bans broadcasts from China's state-owned China Central Television, which were suspended in 2003 in response to China's refusal to broadcast Taiwanese television stations.

2004 Documented Cases – Taiwan

APRIL 10, 2004
Posted: April 19, 2004

Huang Hsin-hao, Era News
13 journalists
ATTACKED

Opposition protesters outside the Presidential Office in the capital, Taipei, attacked 14 journalists who were covering a demonstration against President Chen Shui-bian's recent re-election. At least one reporter was hospitalized, according to news reports.

On April 10, more than 100,000 people gathered outside the Presidential Office to protest President Chen Shui-bian's March 20 re-election. Chen, the incumbent, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate, narrowly defeated Kuomintang (Nationalist, or KMT) Party opponent Lien Chan, after Chen and Vice President Annette Lu were victims of an assassination attempt on March 19. Neither Chen nor Lu were seriously injured in the attack, in which they were shot while riding in a open-topped jeep.

KMT supporters have called for an independent investigation into the shooting. Some opposition supporters have alleged that the DPP staged the incident to win sympathy votes in the close campaign, though a Central Election Commission investigation stated that the assassination attempt did not significantly influence the election results. Taiwanese society has been polarized by the election, and the opposition has held regular protests in recent weeks. An election recount is expected in mid-May, though it is not yet clear if it will be completed before Chen is sworn in on May 20.

At around 11 p.m. on April 10, protesters became increasingly violent, according to Taiwanese news reports. Demonstrators began to physically attack the journalists as they filmed the protesters tearing down barricades in front of the Presidential Office. Huang, a cameraman for Era News television network, was attacked by about ten protesters and was hospitalized with 20 stitches, according to the Taipei Times. Three other journalists from Era News and Eastern Television (ETTV) were also injured.

All together, about 140 people, including 86 police officers, were injured in the protest. Riot police eventually used water cannons to disperse the crowds. Police have arrested at least 21 people for leading the violence. Era News has said it will conduct an independent investigation into the attack on the station's journalists.

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