Taiwan: Journalists urge China Times to offer protection for its staff

European Journalism Centre

Media News - Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Taiwan: Journalists urge China Times to offer protection for its staff



The Association of Taiwan Journalists and various media protection groups urged Tuesday the embattled China Times to "protect the interests of its staff," while downsizing as a tabloid next September. Activists from Taiwan Media Watch and the Campaign for Media Reform exhorted the paper's board of directors to "manage business democratically" and guarantee that the 60-year-old daily would "remain a tool at the service of the community," not a scandal sheet. Kuang Chung-hsiang, president of Media Watch, recommended China Times' white-collar workers join labor unions without delay, to manage the outcome of a proposed memorandum on protecting their rights and the quality of the publication. China Times President Lin Sheng-fen cited on June 18 the effect of rising cost of operations and shrinking advertising revenue for the company's financial troubles, while disclosing that the newspaper would be transformed into an "elite" daily. Lin, however, declined to comment on reports that the paper would eventually lay off 450 to 600 employees, and stressed that personnel adjustments would be made in keeping with the law. China Times ranks with the Liberty Times, United Daily News, and Apple Daily (Taiwan) as one of the four top newspapers in Taiwan in terms of circulation. (Asia Media)

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