Media Outlet Radio Taiwan International Date of first publication 18/04/2024 Date of Latest Change 18/04/2024
2. Editorial Mission
2.1. Editorial Mission Statement
The Media Outlet shall disclose its editorial mission statement which shall be consistent with the fundamental ethical principles of trustworthy journalism, and, as described in the Preamble, should incorporate principles of: ethical practice, good governance, self-regulation and Engagement with the public. A Media Outlet shall set out how it proposes to uphold these journalism principles through its Editorial Guidelines and processes which shall include arrangements in relation to internal accountability and of appropriate external accountability (see clauses 9 – 15). Best practice is to have these arrangements codified and made available publicly.
Does your Media Outlet have an editorial mission statement, or stated set of principles or editorial values?
YesProvide that statement here.
Guided by the Radio Taiwan International Establishment Act, Radio Taiwan International (Rti) is tasked with the broadcast of news and information about the nation. To fulfill its statutory duties and serve as a trustworthy, impartial, objective, and professional media outlet for audiences both domestically and internationally, Rti set up the following news broadcasting code with which Rti news staff must comply. The Code is drafted based on relevant laws and regulations after consultation with scholars and experts, and well as references to major media organizations at home and abroad.
I. General Principles
1. The following situation should not occur in news coverage of the station:
(1) Violation of mandatory or prohibited provisions of law
(2) Harming the physical or mental health of children or juveniles
(3) Interfering with social order or good custom
(4) Violation of the principle of truth or impartiality
2. Accuracy:
(1) News must be thoroughly verified before reporting. Accuracy comes before anything else. No groundless statements or misinterpretation of truths.
(2) Staff must have full understanding before any news reporting, so as to immediately grasp the core of the issue.
(3) Source of information must be clearly stated. If any interviewee requests anonymity, the situation should be weighed and reported within the station first.
(4) Interviews should be recorded and relevant information should be retained for later examination.
(5) Staff should pursue a diverse range of sources of information and interviewees and any news coverage should not rely on one single source for verification.
(6) News reports should be broadcasted in time. In case of emergency events, a confirmed short note should be released first, and the content should be updated in a timely manner as the event unfolds.
3. Impartiality:
(1) News reporting should be unbiased. In addition to presenting facts in time, all important and relevant information should be prioritized in accordance with the development of the news event.
(2) News reporting should be transparent and objective, without subjective adjectives or personal opinions of reporters and editors.
(3) Should controversies arise, opinions of both/all sides should be presented and rational dialogue should be fostered.
(4) There should be a clear distinction between commentary and live news when they are presented or broadcast on the website.
(5) News reporting should not include prejudicial or discriminatory terms on the basis of ethnic background, community, race, nationality, country of origin, place of birth, socioeconomic status, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disabilities, or minority status.
4. Public interest:
(1) News reporting should stem from upholding public interest, foster discussion on public issues, and provide an open platform for the exchange of diverse viewpoints.
(2) News reporting and commentary should be independent and autonomous, and should not be influenced by any forces. News reporting should stand firm on professionalism and prioritize public interest to ensure credibility.
(3) News reporting should uphold the quality of content and not indulge in vulgarity or flattery.
5. Professional ethics:
(1) Staff positions or work relationships should not be used to gain improper benefits. This includes accepting benefits for producing work that violates the journalistic profession.
(2) Staff should not take work that conflicts with their duties. If there is a conflict of interest, staff should take the initiative to report the conflict to the supervisor or request recusal.
(3) Staff should not hold political party or public office, nor engage in electioneering or other activities that interfere with elections. If a staff member chooses to participate in the election of public officials, they should immediately stop their journalism-related work.
(4) Staff should not accept money. Acceptance can cause a conflict of interest or affect the image of the Taiwan government. Gifts with a market value of $2,000 or more are to be returned.
(5) Staff should not accept any activities paid for by the visitor or involving private interests, such as hospitality trips. If the visit involves significant public interest or special circumstances, it should be reported to the supervisor for approval.
6. Correction of errors and acceptance of complaints:
(1) News reports should avoid errors as much as possible. If errors are found in the content, the reviewer and supervisor should be informed as soon as possible with an open attitude. The editor, foreign language contributors, and external cooperation platform windows shall be notified simultaneously for correction or update.
(2) If it is not possible to immediately verify or confirm whether the content is incorrect, the supervisor should be notified to decide whether to take down the article first or to handle it appropriately. They should then dispose of it after verification and confirmation. If there are still doubts about whether to revise or remove the content or if the case is complicated, the matter should be submitted to the "News Self-Regulation Consultation Meeting" for a decision if necessary.
(3) According to Article 23 of the Radio and Television Act, "If an interested party believes that a radio report is erroneous and requests a correction within fifteen days from the date of broadcast, the radio station shall, within seven days of receiving the request, add a correction to the original program or a program of the same time of the original program; or submit a report if the staff involved believe the information is not erroneous to a self-regulatory consultation meeting. The station shall, within seven days of receipt of the request, correct the original program or the program at the same time, or reply in writing to the requestor with the reasons why, in its opinion, the reporting was not incorrect. Article 24 stipulates that "If commentary involves another person or an institution or organization whose rights or interests are prejudiced, the person to whom the commentary is directed shall not refuse to give an equal opportunity of reply if he or she so requests. If an interested party requests a correction or a complaint, the above provisions shall be followed as soon as possible, or the company shall coordinate the provision of space or time slots in an appropriate manner for explanation.
(4) If the content of an error involves slander, harm to reputation, or other legal issues, it should be reported to the supervisor and legal advice should be sought before the necessary action is taken.
(5) A complete record of the process of editing or revising the content should be kept in the backend of the website to clarify the responsibility.
I. General Principles
1. The following situation should not occur in news coverage of the station:
(1) Violation of mandatory or prohibited provisions of law
(2) Harming the physical or mental health of children or juveniles
(3) Interfering with social order or good custom
(4) Violation of the principle of truth or impartiality
2. Accuracy:
(1) News must be thoroughly verified before reporting. Accuracy comes before anything else. No groundless statements or misinterpretation of truths.
(2) Staff must have full understanding before any news reporting, so as to immediately grasp the core of the issue.
(3) Source of information must be clearly stated. If any interviewee requests anonymity, the situation should be weighed and reported within the station first.
(4) Interviews should be recorded and relevant information should be retained for later examination.
(5) Staff should pursue a diverse range of sources of information and interviewees and any news coverage should not rely on one single source for verification.
(6) News reports should be broadcasted in time. In case of emergency events, a confirmed short note should be released first, and the content should be updated in a timely manner as the event unfolds.
3. Impartiality:
(1) News reporting should be unbiased. In addition to presenting facts in time, all important and relevant information should be prioritized in accordance with the development of the news event.
(2) News reporting should be transparent and objective, without subjective adjectives or personal opinions of reporters and editors.
(3) Should controversies arise, opinions of both/all sides should be presented and rational dialogue should be fostered.
(4) There should be a clear distinction between commentary and live news when they are presented or broadcast on the website.
(5) News reporting should not include prejudicial or discriminatory terms on the basis of ethnic background, community, race, nationality, country of origin, place of birth, socioeconomic status, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disabilities, or minority status.
4. Public interest:
(1) News reporting should stem from upholding public interest, foster discussion on public issues, and provide an open platform for the exchange of diverse viewpoints.
(2) News reporting and commentary should be independent and autonomous, and should not be influenced by any forces. News reporting should stand firm on professionalism and prioritize public interest to ensure credibility.
(3) News reporting should uphold the quality of content and not indulge in vulgarity or flattery.
5. Professional ethics:
(1) Staff positions or work relationships should not be used to gain improper benefits. This includes accepting benefits for producing work that violates the journalistic profession.
(2) Staff should not take work that conflicts with their duties. If there is a conflict of interest, staff should take the initiative to report the conflict to the supervisor or request recusal.
(3) Staff should not hold political party or public office, nor engage in electioneering or other activities that interfere with elections. If a staff member chooses to participate in the election of public officials, they should immediately stop their journalism-related work.
(4) Staff should not accept money. Acceptance can cause a conflict of interest or affect the image of the Taiwan government. Gifts with a market value of $2,000 or more are to be returned.
(5) Staff should not accept any activities paid for by the visitor or involving private interests, such as hospitality trips. If the visit involves significant public interest or special circumstances, it should be reported to the supervisor for approval.
6. Correction of errors and acceptance of complaints:
(1) News reports should avoid errors as much as possible. If errors are found in the content, the reviewer and supervisor should be informed as soon as possible with an open attitude. The editor, foreign language contributors, and external cooperation platform windows shall be notified simultaneously for correction or update.
(2) If it is not possible to immediately verify or confirm whether the content is incorrect, the supervisor should be notified to decide whether to take down the article first or to handle it appropriately. They should then dispose of it after verification and confirmation. If there are still doubts about whether to revise or remove the content or if the case is complicated, the matter should be submitted to the "News Self-Regulation Consultation Meeting" for a decision if necessary.
(3) According to Article 23 of the Radio and Television Act, "If an interested party believes that a radio report is erroneous and requests a correction within fifteen days from the date of broadcast, the radio station shall, within seven days of receiving the request, add a correction to the original program or a program of the same time of the original program; or submit a report if the staff involved believe the information is not erroneous to a self-regulatory consultation meeting. The station shall, within seven days of receipt of the request, correct the original program or the program at the same time, or reply in writing to the requestor with the reasons why, in its opinion, the reporting was not incorrect. Article 24 stipulates that "If commentary involves another person or an institution or organization whose rights or interests are prejudiced, the person to whom the commentary is directed shall not refuse to give an equal opportunity of reply if he or she so requests. If an interested party requests a correction or a complaint, the above provisions shall be followed as soon as possible, or the company shall coordinate the provision of space or time slots in an appropriate manner for explanation.
(4) If the content of an error involves slander, harm to reputation, or other legal issues, it should be reported to the supervisor and legal advice should be sought before the necessary action is taken.
(5) A complete record of the process of editing or revising the content should be kept in the backend of the website to clarify the responsibility.
Is that statement posted online?
YesWhat is the URL where it is published?
https://en.rti.org.tw/index/content/id/9