‘CHILLING EFFECT’:Political interference would be detrimental to democracy if it is allowed to influence news reports, NPP Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal said
Taipei Times
Date: Dec 28, 2016
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter
The New Power Party (NPP) yesterday proposed a draft amendment to the Act for the Establishment of
New Power Party Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal explains her party’s proposed amendments to the Act for the Establishment of the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation (財團法人原住民族文化事業基金會設置條例) to ensure that the foundation, which operates Taiwan Indigenous TV, is free from political interference that might affect the objectivity of its programs.
Since the station was launched in 2004, it has been subject to political interference from government agencies and legislators, who have frozen the foundation’s budget to pressure it to present certain perspectives in its programs, NPP Legislator Kawlo Iyun Pacidal, an Amis, told a news conference in Taipei.
Citing her experience as a reporter for the station, she said that she was punished after a report on the Council of Indigenous Peoples was aired.
“If political interference can be allowed to have a ‘chilling effect’ on news reports, it will surely be detrimental to democracy and the freedom of speech,” she said. [FULL STORY]
