NHK Puts Taiwan Media to Shame

NHK Puts Taiwan Media to Shame
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
March 16, 2011

Tsai Kuo-chiang's plan for the New Year's Eve fireworks display failed to go off as planned. A message was supposed to appear in the night sky, reading: "Knock it off!" But so blunt a message might have provoked unnecessary political controversy. Therefore the message was never displayed. Three and a half months later, many people have the same feeling. An earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale struck Japan. The quake revealed the extent of public dissatisfaction with media coverage of the disaster.

The day after the Japan earthquake, the Internet circulated an article written by a netizen going by the name of "rice crackers." The article was entitled, "What an 8.9 magnitude earthquake taught us." The article commented on coverage of the quake by NHK, Japan's public television network. It wrote: "NHK immediately broadcast images of the disaster. It provided calm, informative, accurate information about the tsunami. Some of the anchorpersons' voices were a little shaky. But they knew that disaster victims and Japanese people the world over would be watching. They had to remain calm. They were their most important source of information. That is why they did not show scenes of disaster victims wringing their hands and tearing their hair. No reporters visited the disaster areas to crack jokes. Instead, they solemnly broadcasted disaster information. They broadcasted government policy announcements. Every few minutes they reminded the audience to pay attention to safety. NHK performed admirably. They were apparently well-prepared. In the face of disaster, they showed how coverage should be broadcast. They conveyed valuable information. They refrained from provoking public anxiety by behaving like vultures."

To compare NHK to the TV media on Taiwan is not entirely fair. After all, NHK is a public television network that receives billions in grants from the Japanese national government every year, When disasters strike, NHK automatically mobilizes alongside the government. Also, Japan resolutely refuses to conduct television viewer ratings. Television production and broadcasting programning are not dictated by viewer ratings. The quality of television series and variety shows is exceptionally high. They are also quite popular.

By contrast, public television on Taiwan has been the victim of political interference and disputes over personnel appointments since its inception. So far, ruling party changes have made no difference. At one time, public television established a good reputation for itself, Its TV series, including shows such as "Rhapsody" and "Oranges," were highly rated. But disputes over personnel appointments make it difficult to return to those glory days. Those achievements are mere memories. Many other broadcasts have been forgotten. PTV news did an excellent job covering Typhoon Morakot. It helped produce a number of documentaries. But when Typhoon Morakot struck, PTV was seldom the public's source of information, or the beneficiary of viewer ratings.

Our viewing is now confined to cable channels. But viewer rating surveys for cable channels are subject to restrictions. Viewers denounce the broadcasts even as they watch them. But in the end, who is to blame? Cable TV channels have no desire to produce quality programs. They have no desire to calmly and professionally report on disasters. The "experts" one news station consulted, were fortunetellers and astrologers. Political commentators suddenly became "experts" predicting where the next great earthquake would occur. Meanwhile, another news station invited professionals to comment. University geology professors provided the public with accurate information on earthquakes and tsunamis. But the news director had to answer for the fact that his station received only half as many viewers as its rivals.

"Wherever you find a disaster, there you will find a reporter." That is a key tenet of the media profession. War correspondents may sacrifice their lives reporting on their nation's wars. Is it worth it? It makes no difference. After all, it is what reporters do. Take Typhoon Morakot. The media became an important source of information, providing people with reports about disaster relief. A minority of anchors or field reporters asked inappropriate questions in shrill tones. Some waded into the water and began shouting hysterically. Viewers found such posturing difficult to stomach. This is one way in which media standards have declined. Such scenes would never have appeared on the three major television broadcasting networks in the past.

Is the media on Taiwan capable of orderly and professional reporting? The lighting was dim at a Japanese earthquake relief center. But professional photographers knew that shining lights in the faces of disaster victims would be disrespectful. At Haneda Airport, the Taiwan media followed rescue teams from Taiwan. Airport staff arranged a "U" shaped press area. The media complained that the resulting images were not very effective. But in the end they had no alternative but to comply.

A powerful earthquake struck Japan. But "order" remained the watchword. The insistence on order enabled the Japanese to close off a large area around the disaster site. Journalists on Taiwan have very different attitudes about such restrictions. Students from Taiwan were evacuated from the disaster areas. The Tokyo airport prohibited interviews with the students. They allowed Japanese police to maintain order. Lastly, the Japanese government contacted the ROC representatives in Japan. They urged foreign journalists to withdraw from the disaster areas, in order not to interfere with rescue efforts. In the end, the Taiwan media had no choice but to comply.

The Taiwan media can be orderly, but not on Taiwan, The media has the duty to report. But no one on Taiwan is willing to remind the media that it must also respect other parties. These are basic requirements. They should be observed by all television media, public and private. Everyone should comply. The effects of the Japan Earthquake are still being felt. Taiwan's media still has many lessons to learn. NHK has learned these lessons, Taiwan's media has no excuse not to.

看ＮＨＫ表現 台灣媒體該慚愧
2011-03-16 中國時報

還記得跨年煙火策畫人蔡國強沒實現的創意嗎？在夜空中打出大大的三個字：別吵了！當時為避免這麼直白的表達方式激起不必要的政治爭議，讓台灣的夜空少了這三個字；事隔三個半月，許多民眾竟又有了相同感覺，只因日本芮氏規模九的強震，震出民眾對台灣媒體播報災難新聞的不滿。

日本震災發生後隔天，網路上即廣泛流傳一篇作家米果的網文〈日本八．九震災教我們的事〉，文中對比日本公共電視ＮＨＫ的報導：「ＮＨＫ即時呈現的空拍畫面，冷靜而詳實提醒海嘯的正確訊息，即使某些主播跟記者的聲音有些顫抖，但是他們知道包括災區民眾跟全球日本人都很注意這些消息，他們必須鎮定，因為這是最重要的訊息來源。所以沒有災民呼天喊地的畫面，沒有記者跑去災區大呼小叫的搞笑，但是對於訊息傳遞、政府政策發布，甚至每隔幾分鐘就提醒觀眾注意安全，ＮＨＫ真是個讓人欽佩的媒體。我猜，他們一定做過很多準備，面對災難，他們要呈現怎樣的報導方式，要確實傳遞訊息，卻不能讓閱聽大眾陷入焦慮，也就是加深所謂的『創傷症候群』。」

拿ＮＨＫ與台灣電視台相比未盡公允，畢竟ＮＨＫ是每年拿國家千億預算補助的公共電視台，災難發生，ＮＨＫ自動加入政府動員體系；此外，日本還是堅拒收視率調查的國家，電視台製播節目不必受到收視率左右，不論連續劇或綜藝節目，質感都格外優良，也受到觀眾歡迎。

相反的，台灣的公廣集團從催生開始就受到政治力干擾，人事爭議經年，歷政黨輪替迄今未歇，公共電視台曾很用心地製作過口碑佳、收視也佳的連續劇，如《人間四月天》、《橘子紅了》，然而，因為人事爭議，這些成績也成了難以挽回的輝煌歲月，只能留下記憶。還有很多，連記憶都沒有，以莫拉克風災為例，公視新聞做得極佳，甚至後來被援以為許多紀錄片素材，但是，莫拉克風災發生時，公視卻幾乎不是觀眾的收視來源。

當我們的收視習慣已經被有線頻道制約，有線頻道又被收視率調查制約時，觀眾邊看邊罵，到底該怪誰？有線電視台不想做出有質感的節目、專業而冷靜地播報災難新聞嗎？有新聞台找的「專家」竟是命理師、星相家，甚至政治評論名嘴們都成了預測下一次巨震發生在何處的「專家」，同一時段，有新聞台專業地聘請大學地質系教授給民眾正確的地震海嘯知識，新聞主管就得面對收視率只有友台一半的壓力。

「災難在哪裡，記者就在哪裡」，是媒體專業信條之一，戰地記者甚至可為他國的戰爭犧牲性命。值得嗎？這就是記者的工作和人生價值！再以莫拉克風災為例，媒體成為協助民眾通報救災的重要管道之一。少數主播或現場記者不得體的問話方式，高亢而近乎興奮的音調，或者讓記者泡在水中大呼小叫，讓觀眾不忍卒睹，這和媒體生態的惡化有關，類似情境絕對不可能出現在老三台時代。

台灣媒體做不到秩序與專業的採訪嗎？在日本震災的避難所現場，一律昏暗不見光，專業攝影都知道，那是對避難者的尊重：不可打燈。在羽田機場媒體緊跟著台灣救難隊，機場工作人員拉出一個「ㄇ」字型採訪區，媒體一度抱怨「拍出來畫面不好看」，但最終還是得配合機場的要求。

日本歷經強震後，始終不放棄的堅持，就是「秩序」，因為這樣的堅持，讓日本在災難現場拉出極大的封鎖線，輕易不能越雷池一步，這與台灣記者的採訪習慣大大不同，為了在禁止攝影的東京機場採訪撤離的台灣留學生，還讓日本警方出面維持秩序。最後，日本政府透過我駐日代表處，懇請外籍記者撤出災區，以免影響救災，台灣媒體還是配合了。

台灣媒體不是做不到秩序，只是在台灣，沒人告訴他們：媒體有採訪天職，但是，媒體的工作還是必須尊重當事人的尊嚴。這一點點基本要求，應該不分公共電視或民營電視都可遵守，也該遵守。日本巨震創痛猶在持續，台灣媒體要學習功課還很多，ＮＨＫ做得到，台灣媒體沒有道理做不到。