With the intense competition of the modern day, the mass communications environment has experienced numerous changes within a short period of time. In order to raise readership or audience share, the media have turned to sensationalism, a trend that has only added to the chorus of complaints that the quality of the news industry is in decline.

The ghosts of media past

Cheng Chen-ming, a lover of history and biography who has worked in the fields of journalism and education for 40 years, is following in the footsteps of Chien Mu, the great scholar of Chinese literature who made it his life's ambition to "invoke the spirits of ancient giants." "At a time when mass communications is at a crossroads," asks Cheng thoughtfully, "shouldn't we turn around and look at what came before us and 'call upon the spirits' of old journalists when the industry is straying from the proper path of mass communications?" This was Cheng's principal motivation for writing A Century of Journalists.

This classic work in the field of mass communications, though named A Century of Journalists, is a collection of 103 biographies on Chinese and foreign media figures who transcended their age. They worked at newspapers, telecommunications firms, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and so on.

The book is arranged based on the dates of birth of the people discussed. It describes the events in their lives and the kind of persons they were in spirit against the backgrounds of different places, times and general circumstances. The 103 journalists were committed to their work and fought hard for freedom of the press. But even more importantly, they represent 103 noble role models, who never forgot their ideals.

Tsai Yuan-pei, who brought the study of journalism to Peking University, is the first person covered. He organized the "Peking University Journalism Research Society," published The Journalist Weekly, organized research seminars on special topics, and all in all brought the study of journalism into the temple of academia. Chang Chi-luan, whom the historian Wu Hsiang-hsiang referred to as "the model Chinese newspaper man," always held onto the spirit of a traditional Chinese man of letters. When he put out the Takungpao, he proclaimed his famous "four 'nevers'": "Never serve any political faction, never sell out, never be selfish, and never become blind to the truth." Strengthening the character of Chinese newspapermen, he created a model of journalistic ethics. Chen Pu-lei, who once served as an aide to Chiang Kai-shek, wrote editorials at Shangpao during the 1920s. Fearless of the powerful and the wealthy, and never backing away from stating the truth, Chen had an elegant writing style. He is famous for saying, "If the editorial writer isn't getting sued, he's not doing a good job." Tseng Hsu-pai wore many hats during his career, including newspaperman, radio broadcaster, news administrator, and international propagandist. He didn't care for high status and was most proud of "spending his life as a journalist."

Cheng Chen-ming is a big admirer of Cheng She-wo, who founded Shih Hsin University. In 1939 in Shanghai he founded Lihpao, a small daily, which was widely loved by its readers. He implemented a policy of "accepting no advertisements unless 100,000 copies were sold" because he believed that without a certain base of readers the advertisements wouldn't be effective and he would be taking advantage of the advertisers. From the present-day perspective, this might seem like a bizarre way to run a newspaper. Hsu Chung-pei was the first Chinese woman to have earned a degree in journalism. When she was 28, the Central Daily News sent her to be their correspondent in London. She was the first Chinese woman to write about public affairs, and she did a good job of combining "sense" with "sensibility." Her work has stood up well, and Reminiscing about My Days in England is still very moving when read today.

Cheng Chen-ming, who has written 12 mass communications textbooks and taught nearly 10,000 journalists, remarks that it took five years to finish this book but more than 40 years to prepare for it. He has a broad and long-term understanding of the persons described in the book. In order to gather information, he made more than 10 trips back and forth across the Taiwan Strait. Nonetheless, it was unavoidable that some important figures would be left out. Thomas Lu, a senior journalist in Taiwan, has noted several journalists conspicuous in their absence: Hsiao Chien, the foremost Chinese war correspondent, isn't on the list. Nor is Chiang Wei-shui, the founder of the Taiwan People's Paper and one of the leaders of the early democracy movement in Taiwan. The contributions of photo journalists have been wholly ignored.

Cheng Chen-ming explains that the 100 were chosen based on his own personal knowledge, and that the list naturally only represents "his humble opinion." He explains the absence of current media barons like Chiu Fu-sheng, Gary Wang and Chester Koo by noting that the three are still relatively young and their ideas still forming.

Cheng Chen-ming, who puts a lot of emphasis on the inheritance of a legacy, stresses that we "pick up the torch" in order to "blaze new trails," that we "look backward" so as to "move forward." People are the actors on the stage of history, and thaey are the spirits that push history forward. What is most admirable in the lives of these 103 journalists is the way they held fast to their ideals. "Even if the current environment is crass, journalists cannot lose their idealism," Cheng urges.

The publication of this set of books realizes a long-held dream of Cheng's. He hopes that there will be more research into journalists and that a "Journalists Research Center" can be established. The idea has received the support of the publisher, as Yuan-Liou has already donated 100 sets of A Century of Journalists to help build up an endowment for the center.

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Tsai Yuan-pei

Liang Chi-chao

Lin Pai-shui

Yu You-jen

Hu Wen-hu (right) and

Hu Hsien (father and daughter)

Hsiao Tung-tsu

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A Century of Journalists

Author: Cheng Chen-ming

Publisher: Yuan Liou

Pub Date: September 2001

Price (six vol. set): NT$1500

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Author Cheng Chen-ming has trained many young journalists, always stressing "journalistic ethics."

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Tung Hsien-kuang

Chang Chi-luan

Ye Chu-tsang

Tai Chuan-hsien

Chen Pu-lei

Tseng Hsu-pai

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Cheng She-wo

Wu San-lien

Liang Han-tsao

Hung Yen-chiu

Li Wan-chu

Ma Hsing-yeh

Pu Shao-fu

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Huang Yu-pei (left) and Yu Meng-yen (husband and wife)

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Yu Chi-chung

Wang Ti-wu

Yeh Ming-hsun

Hsu Chung-pei

Lu Chien

Yin Yun-peng

Wang Hsiao-lan