Problem
Taiwan’s mainstream media companies are owned and operated by those with close ties to the KMT, thus turning what should be news reporting and honest journalistic investigation into a KMT propoganda machine.
Proposal
The mainstream media companies, television, newspaper, and radio are for the most part not government owned but for-profit enterprises that rely on advertising revenue. This dependency is an opening. By executing a boycott against the companies that advertise on these media outlets it taps into the heart of what is important for both the advertisers and for the media companies, profit. Once companies feel the pinch, especially in the current challenging economic climate, they will begin to pull away from advertising on the KMT supporting media or put pressure on those media outlets to change. As those media outlets start to lose advertising, they will have to decide to either continue to show the KMT propaganda and lose money, or begin to show balanced news and stay in business.
Action Steps
How to effectively run this boycott and change the face of Taiwan’s media and news reporting.
- Assign Commercial Monitors: Set up a monitor for each targeted radio show, TV show, or newspaper. For example, one or two daily monitors for CTS News whose sole assignment is to note advertisers for these shows.
- Identify Prime Advertisers: Get the name of advertisers that appear on a given show. Post a list of these advertisers on a high visibility web site. If you see a particular insurance company advertising on a targeted show, note the company, post it to the list of boycotted companies. If the same company has more than one commercial on the same show, target that company over any other.
- Call and Write to Advertiser: Call and write to sponsors of the show to make sure they are aware of a possible boycott, allow them a chance to pull ads from a targeted show. Make sure to explain the reason for your concern, cite evidence.
- Post List: Use friendly radio stations, cable news shows and discussions, and the internet to promote the web site which points out offending advertisers. By using these outlets, bringing traffic to such a blacklist site could be easier than you think.
- Do not end boycott until goal is met: For example, until a public apology is offered by the host or the network president resigns, or feels the full wrath of stockholder pressure, and change are actually made to news reporting. Stay updated on list of advertisers. Participate. And don’t buy from those who spit in your face, and your children’s.
- Support companies who advertise on show’s supporting Taiwanese culture, democracy, and self-determination: Be aware of companies that do advertise on shows supporting the right things and put your buying power towards them.
