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EDITORIAL: Celebrity
sends media into frenzy
The alleged beating of a taxi driver earlier this month by a Japanese friend of
local singer and actress Makiyo stunned society, sending local press and media
outlets ¡X eager to pass judgement and pronounce guilt ¡X into overdrive.
Makiyo, who is of Taiwanese and Japanese descent, and her friend, Takateru
Tomoyori, allegedly kicked and beat the taxi driver, surnamed Lin (ªL), after a
quarrel over Tomoyori¡¦s refusal to fasten his seatbelt on Feb. 2. The incident,
revealed days later via footage from a dashboard camera provided by another taxi
driver, sparked public outrage.
While the media¡¦s interest in celebrities is certainly not new, and criminal
cases involving well-known people can easily unleash a media frenzy, the sector
needs to be mindful of providing balanced information and careful analyses, not
off-the-cuff comments and sensational perspectives.
In the case of Makiyo, the alleged incident led the media to focus on her
outings to nightclubs and any ¡§unsavory¡¨ habits. The entertainer appears to have
lost many fans, with some expressing themselves on social networking sites and
online forums. An anti-Makiyo Facebook page has attracted almost 400,000
adherents so far.
Local news networks and talk shows have added fuel to the fire, inciting public
rage with rumors about the case and closely scrutinizing Makiyo¡¦s background and
that of her friends.
The Taipei District Prosecutors¡¦ Office on Friday wrapped up its investigation
into the case and charged Makiyo and Tomoyori with assault and asked for four
and six years imprisonment respectively.
However, the ruling did not put an end to the coverage of the case. Rather,
encouraged by high ratings, news networks sought to dig deeper and go wilder.
ETTV¡¦s talk show This Is It last week invited guests to explain in detail how
the driver had been beaten and simulated the postures.
Another talk show on TVBS, 2100 Talk Show invited Tomoyori to attend on Friday
night, with host Lee Tao (§õÀÜ) and guests taking turns to play judge and grill
him on the case.
The trial by media and the portrait of Makiyo and Tomoyori as public enemies has
done little to inform the public or to lead to a rational discussion of the
issues behind the case.
Despite the 24-hour news coverage, there was little in-depth or follow-up
discussion on related issues, such as the new legislation that requires car
passengers in the rear seats to fasten their seatbelts and what taxi drivers can
do if passengers refuse to obey the law.
The only positive impact from the media was probably that the video footage
obtained exclusively by ETTV revealed flaws in the handling of the video
evidence by the police. It was not until the prosecutors saw the footage on the
news and demanded the video from the police, that the police finally presented
them with the critical evidence.
The media plays a crucial role in informing the public and shaping public
opinion in a society where the public is flooded with information.
The press and news networks should exercise self-discipline when reporting on
celebrities, as they should in any high-profile case, regardless of whether the
report is social, political or otherwise. Moreover, network ratings and public
interest do not justify the media turning the proceedings into a circus.
Makiyo and Tomoyori have now admitted attacking the driver and the court will
decide the price they should pay for their acts. Journalists should be careful
not to play judge when covering the case, and more importantly, ensure that they
still focus attention on important issues both at home and abroad.
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