Taiwanese TV reporters risk lives

2004-10-27 11:17

Taipei - They wade neck-deep into swirling flood waters mixed with sewage. Some stand on unstable mountain slopes as rocks tumble dangerously close to them. Others dodge flying debris kicked up by fierce storm gusts.

They're Taiwanese TV reporters who jeopardise their lives because they're driven by ambition or tremendous pressure to get the most exciting images of the typhoons that batter the island this time of year.

But some journalists are starting to grumble about the gonzo typhoon reporting that they think is becoming too risky. And the criticism is growing louder after this week's death of a TV cameraman swallowed up by flood waters while covering Typhoon Nock-ten.

Reckless typhoon coverage

Cheng Shi-yung of the Association of Taiwan Journalists said that reckless typhoon coverage has become the norm because of the intense competition in the island's crowded TV media market. Journalists are being pushed harder and harder to scoop competitors with sensational images.

"Supervisors at our TV stations directly or indirectly encourage dangerous deeds by their reporters," Cheng said.

"In many circumstances, cameramen could have used a long shot, but they fear they would be chewed out if others get a sensational close-up that they don't have," he said. Taiwan - about the size of the Netherlands - has at least six 24-hour cable news networks and four terrestrial stations.

They're equipped with fleets of satellite trucks staffed by aggressive young journalists who zip around the island feeding live reports each hour. The crews go into overdrive during typhoons.

The TV cameraman who died on Monday, Ping Chung-cheng, was standing near a swollen, raging river in the northern city of Keelung when he was swept away. Three other reporters with him were also washed away with him, but they held onto blocks of wood and other debris and were later rescued.

Ping worked for TTV, and the terrestrial station's spokesperson, Liu Lee-hui, said the cameraman was never pressured to risk his life for good pictures. But she said that covering news is inherently dangerous and accidents are bound to happen.

News coverage 'can be risky'

"News coverage can be risky because we want to present the true situation to viewers," Liu said. "No supervisors would want their reporters to risk their lives but dangers are everywhere."

But some reporters complain that journalists are taking unnecessary risks. One TV cameraman, who asked not to be named to avoid possible punishment by his employer, said that wading into flooded rivers or neighbourhoods has become a tradition.

Often, reporters stand in flood water up to their necks to get a dramatic shot, risking contamination by sewage or electrocution by downed wires.

"Our supervisors wouldn't want us to risk our lives, but they want good shots, so we do all we can to get them or we'd be considered as less aggressive," the cameraman said.

Another TV cameraman, also requesting anonymity to avoid trouble with his employer, said his station never gave reporters training for covering dangerous situations.

"We count on older reporters who pass their experience to us," he said.

- AP