Taiwan online news self-regulation alliance launches

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) The Taiwan Alliance for Self-Regulation of Online News (TASON) was launched Monday, coinciding with Taiwan's Journalists' Day on Sept. 1, with 23 news media outlets signing up to take part.

At a press conference, the alliance said it would seek to safeguard Taiwan's online news freedom based on the principles of truth, professionalism, self-regulation, transparent oversight and digital accountability.

It also called on more media outlets to join the alliance to create a truthful, professional and trustworthy digital news environment.

Amid growing competition in an increasingly digital and algorithm-driven media landscape, TASON said it would build a governance platform combining internal oversight and citizen participation. The platform will expand self-regulation through systematic principles, transparent complaint and correction mechanisms, and collaboration among information stakeholders to improve the quality and credibility of news reporting.

Lin Wen-chun (林妏純), convener of the alliance and editor-in-chief of ETtoday's news department, said in a pre-recorded video that the alliance represents a reconstruction of media values, emphasizing that the value of news should not be measured solely by its click-through rate (CTR).

Hakka Radio Chief and alliance deputy coordinator Chuang Sheng-hung (莊勝鴻) said that Taiwanese media face a crisis of declining trust, as outlets often cross ethical boundaries in pursuit of higher click-through rates, expressing hope that the alliance will help to boost Taiwanese news media.

Andy Y.H. Liang (梁永煌), publisher of Business Today, said that as the fourth power, media should be self-regulated.

"The subjects of news reports should be treated fairly, so [the alliance] established a complaint channel to broaden public participation and help Taiwan's journalists earn greater respect," he said.

Digital Minister Lin Yi-jing (林宜敬) said that as an engineer who worked at a high-tech company, he only learned about online news through his friends who participated in student activism.

"Does false information on the internet count as press freedom? This is what we need to discuss and self-regulate on," he said.