Turn on your TV in Taiwan, and you are greeted with a barrage of sex and violence: tales of bus hijackings, murder and even incest, presented in gory detail on the news; "real crime" programs which include reenactments that are virtual how-to manuals; and variety shows on which performers play sexually suggestive games or strip off their clothes. And in the wee hours, pornography produced both locally and in Japan heats up the island's TV screens.

In the time since the island's airwaves were opened up, the number of TV channels has soared, and images of sex, violence, disaster and crime have become ubiquitous. Not only do the lead items on the evening news frequently deal with such themes, they have also become a programming trend. It has now reached the point where the public and the Government Information Office (GIO), which regulates Taiwan's media, can no longer stand by and do nothing.

During interpellations at the most recent session of the Legislative Yuan, more than one-third of Taiwan's 158 legislators made the media's responsibility to society, and sex and violence on television, the focus of their questions. Moreover, on Mother's Day a group of local mothers began recruiting "Wonderwomen" to help monitor the media. They hope to press the media to provide the public with "cleaner air." They believe that the large doses of sex and violence that the media, faced with competition for an audience, is feeding to the public are giving the wrong ideas to a younger generation not yet mature enough to make judgments for itself.

In a survey conducted by the Gallup Organization on behalf of the GIO, 87% of the respondents felt that the amount of sex, violence and crime on TV was a cause for concern. A further 93% of respondents felt that television programming was a factor in juvenile crime, and about 80% felt that the government should make a strong effort to bring this problem under control. In response to this outcry from the public, the GIO has taken action.

Cheng Chien-jen, director of the GIO, called a press conference on May 13 to announce that the government would begin using strict laws and heavy fines to deal with the excessive sex, violence and crime on TV.

The government will increase its monitoring of the broadcast media, sending out more inspectors to search for illegal pornographic CD-ROMs and video tapes. Businesses found to be breaking the law will severely punished and be referred to the courts. In addition, cable television's "real crime" programs will be individually reviewed. Those found to be in violation of the law will be subject to fines of NT$90,000 to NT$1.2 million. The government will also use fines to stop upstream providers and downstream distributors of cable TV programming from broadcasting restricted programs. Providers will be subject to fines of NT$90,000, while distributors will face fines of up to NT$1.2 million.

In dealing with the print media, the government will establish teams in both Kao-hsiung and Taipei to aid the provincial and local departments of information in going after pornographic publications. It will also raise fines for placing pornographic advertising in newspapers, and will, when necessary, publish the names of offenders. Finally, those who show unlicensed or banned pornographic or violent films, or who don't follow the movie code in rating films, will be fined, shut down or have their licenses revoked.

A self-regulating news media

Although the government has made it clear that it holds the principle of freedom of the press in high regard, it hopes that the media will police itself more strictly, and avoid reporting events from a sensationalistic point of view. On this point, the public was more direct. According to the Gallup poll, more than 75% of respondents felt that today's news reporting was too inflammatory and that violence and crime were over-reported.

Many felt that lead stories on TV news programs usually involved sex, crimes or acts of violence. Examples include last year's reporting on the Chen Chin-hsing case, and the recent hijacking of a Taipei City bus during which events were broadcast live into homes around the island. In cases of incest or torture and murder, the methods and the tools are described in such detail that it seems the acts are being committed before your very eyes. Reports on airplane crashes, murders, car accidents, fires and even the use of hidden cameras to film guests at "love hotels" deliver images of gore and nudity right to one's dinner table.

Another survey, this one conducted by Taipei City Councilor Chen Hsueh-fen, showed that 42% of the public thought that TV news reporting was likely to lead to copycat crimes. This survey also showed that more than 80% thought that TV programs should be rated. Meanwhile, in a survey by the United Daily News, 64% of the respondents thought that TV programs contained too much violence, and 38% named TV news as the worst offender.

It is interesting to note that 52% of the public believes that the TV news' graphic descriptions of violent scenes do not help the audience better understand the truth of the events. Further, 65% of the public believes that reports which include every detail of a violent crime are unnecessary.

In response to the public's complaints, the directors of TV news bureaus say that the news doesn't have categories and that news programs will continue to report on stories which affect the public. They say that strictly speaking, the so-called "clean-up" of the news is really a clean-up of the images that are broadcast.

In the US, where the Fourth Estate is a powerful one, TV news programs which mishandle reports have also been criticized by the public. Not very long ago, a man killed himself on a highway in Los Angeles. TV stations which were reporting live from the scene via helicopter caught his death on film, and because of the live feed, were unable to edit it before the image was broadcast to viewers. US audiences were shocked. Some stations immediately apologized. Others, even as they were broadcasting the scene, received more than 100 phone calls from viewers asking them to stop broadcasting. Afterwards, "mending the fence after the sheep had escaped," some stations provided viewers with a hotline they could call for information about psychological counseling. And not one station dared broadcast the scene a second time.

With criticisms and calls for monitoring of the media circulating among the public, it is clear that Taiwan's media has already gone from being society's watchdog to one of the watched. But government action in the form of stricter laws and heavier fines is not enough. The public must itself feel that such media behavior is wrong, be willing to stand up and say so, and exercise its power to make changes. Only in this way can we bring about a healthier media environment.

Sex and Violence in the Media Hotlines

Radio and TV: (02) 2321-4119

Print Media: (02) 2322-8834

Movies: (02) 2356-8919

Or write to: P.O. Box 12-34, Taipei Or, if you have an opinion you would like to express to the Government Information Office, you can reach them via their website at: http://www.gio.gov.tw

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Virtually everyone agrees that pornography should be opposed.