The media have a responsibility to faithfully reflect the views of those they interview, Minister of the Government Information Office Johnny Chi-chen Chiang said Oct. 24.
Chiang made the remarks in response to a recent controversy involving the Associated Press and ROC President Ma Ying-jeou. After conducting an hour-long interview with Ma, the AP published a report Oct. 19 claiming that Ma “suggested” he would hold political talks with mainland China if elected to a second term in office.
In fact, Ma had done nothing of the sort, as a transcript of the entire interview made clear. In a letter of complaint to the AP, Chiang pointed out that several key passages in the article were “not correct or faithful representations of the interview content.”
“Major media institutions such as the AP play a crucial role in global communication,” Chiang said. “We hope that they stick to professionalism and remain faithful to what their interviewees had to say.”
In a follow-up story published Oct. 23, AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski said the objections cited by Chiang and other Taiwan government officials were mainly matters of emphasis, and that AP understands the sensitivity and importance of the issue.
“President Ma’s position is that any opening for talks on political issues with China should move in step with the public and parliament in Taiwan, that he has no timetable, and that resolving all outstanding economic issues are his priority,” said Daniszewski. (HZW)