Taiwan has seen a “steady increase” of international media and journalists since 2016, the island’s foreign ministry has said, with a 22 per cent increase in foreign reporters this year attributed to Taiwan’s press freedom and its position as an Indo-Pacific hub.
The island democracy had 174 foreign reporters and 82 international media outlets by the end of November, according to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Jeff Liu, a spokesperson for the ministry, said last Tuesday that the latest figures showed a steady growth from last year, when 142 reporters from 79 international news outlets were recorded.
The latest figures also represented an almost twofold increase from 2016, when 81 personnel from 48 international news organisations were stationed in Taiwan, Liu added.
Press freedom
Liu said that Taiwan’s press freedom and its “open and free” society were the primary reasons behind the inflow of international reporters.
He said Taiwan ranked 35th out of 180 jurisdictions in the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom ranking, released on May 3, World Press Freedom Day. It was the highest ranking for the island since 2008, and it stood at the forefront among Asian jurisdictions, he said.
Liu said that Hong Kong, once in a leading position in terms of press freedom in Asia and the world, had plummeted to 140th this year. China stood at 179th, above only North Korea, on this year’s RSF index.
“Taiwan’s news landscape is free. Information is circulating in a fast, open, and transparent manner,” Liu said in Mandarin.
He added that rule of law, the respect for diverse opinions, and Taiwan’s location as an Indo-Pacific hub had made the island a hotspot for international media to set up regional stations. Taiwan would provide necessary assistance for journalists to enter, reside, and work in the territory, he said.
Hong Kong has plummeted in international press freedom indices since the onset of the security law. Watchdogs cite the arrest of journalists, raids on newsrooms and the closure of around 10 media outlets including Apple Daily, Stand News and Citizen News. Over 1,000 journalists have lost their jobs, whilst many emigrated. Meanwhile, the city’s government-funded broadcaster RTHK has adopted new editorial guidelines, purged its archives and axed news and satirical shows.
In 2022, Chief Executive John Lee has said press freedom was “in the pocket” of Hongkongers but “nobody is above the law.” Lee, whose administration is mulling a “fake news” law, has told the press to “tell a good Hong Kong story.”
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