On December 27th, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will hold a free of charge international conference on journalism in Taipei, where media stakeholders are invited to discuss the threat of disinformation and its solutions.
Amid concerns about possible “fake news” attacks aimed at influencing the upcoming presidential elections in Taiwan, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) organises the 1st Taiwan International Journalism Conference (RSFtaiwan.org). The free of charge event, that is going to be held on Friday December 27th, 2019 at the National Library in Taipei, aims to discuss the threat of disinformation and its solutions. The organisers expect this event to become annual and to contribute to the promotion of press freedom and of a quality media environment in Taiwan.
“While the Chinese regime tightens its grip on media and as Hong Kong residents struggle to preserve their freedoms, the Taiwanese democracy represents a beacon of hope for media freedom in Asia, points out Cédric Alviani, RSF East Asia bureau head and president of the RSF Taiwan Chapter. “If Taiwan manages to overcome the structural weaknesses of its media environment in order to resist disinformation attacks, it has the potential to become one of the world’s champions of press freedom.”
The conference will feature French journalist Pierre Haski, acting President of RSF and a former foreign correspondent in Beijing; Canadian journalist J. Michael Cole, editor in chief of Taiwan Sentinel and a Senior Fellow with the China Policy Institute/Taiwan Studies Programme at the University of Nottingham, UK; and Karen Cheung, a former Hong Kong Free Press reporter whose features have been published in the New York Times, New Statesman, Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, and others.
Special guests also include prominent figures, namely Liao Fu-Te, President of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, Tsao Wen-Chieh, President & CEO of Public Television Service Foundation, Leon Chuang, President of Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, Eve Chiu, CEO of the Foundation for Excellent Journalism Award, Yuning Chang, Chief editor of BuzzOrange, Chi-te Lee, Standing Executive Committee member of the Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ), Chen Shun-hsiao, Associate Professor, Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Fu Jen University, Stéphane Corcuff, Associate professor and researcher, Sciences Po Lyon and Wuer Kaixi, RSF Emeritus Board Member.
Reporters Without Borders, also known under its French acronym RSF, is a Paris-based international non-governmental, non-profit organization that defends journalism and freedom of information. In 2017, RSF opened its first Asian office in Taipei, which covers Taiwan, China including Hong Kong and Macau, South Korea, North Korea, Japan and Mongolia. RSF recently published an open letter calling on Taiwan’s presidential candidates and political parties to make a firm, non-partisan commitment to strengthening public media and independent journalism to protect Taiwan from disinformation.
Friday December 27, 2019 (9:00-18:00) at the National Central Library in Taipei. No. 20, Zhongshan South Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City. Free registration.