PEOPO Spurs Enthusiastic Response at International Media Workshop(2009/07)

The prosperous and diverse development of the news media in Taiwan has attracted 28 journalists and government media officials from 27 countries to Taiwan to participate in the Workshop on the Development of News Media in Taiwan, which was organized by the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF).

In the 10-day event that started on July 21, participants were able to gain a first-hand understanding of the development of the news media in Taiwan. They also visited prominent media establishments and relevant agencies in Taiwan to foster exchanges and help enrich their practical experience.

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The Workshop on the Development of News Media in Taiwan has been held for six years running and has attracted many participants over the years. This year’s participants include, among others, the vice editor-in-chief of the Daily Observer, the largest newspaper in Gambia; head of the news department of the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry; Belgian correspondent of the Latvia national television; and head of the editorial department of the Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA).

To enable the high-ranking media people from different countries to fully understand the current development of Taiwan’s media, Taiwan ICDF invited prominent local scholars and media experts to explain the development of the local media and discuss industry experience. In addition, the organizer also arranged visits to the Government Information Office, Taiwan Public Television Service, and Broadcasting Corporation of China to enable participants to interact face to face with front-line media personnel. The visits offered opportunities for exchanges and a better understanding of the different philosophies and business models of commercial, government-run, and public media companies in Taiwan. The diversity of learning experience will serve as a foundation for future cooperation between media personnel of the different countries.

The participants on July 28 visited Taiwan Public Television Service and attended a workshop on

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“Meeting the Diversified Needs of a Civil Society---Citizen Involvement of Local Affairs in Digital Era.” PTS shared its experience in the operation of its on-line citizen journalism platform, PeoPo, which has been warmly received by the society-at-large. The participants recognized the importance of using the Internet to create a citizen journalism platform, and engaged i