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KMT to judge
efficiency through media
By Peng Hsien-chun / Staff Reporter
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) will soon start using media coverage as an
index to evaluate its county and city party headquarters¡¦ efficiency, according
to sources familiar with KMT affairs.
The sources said that to reinforce the local party headquarters¡¦ cognizance of
the importance of propaganda and the implementation of policies, KMT
headquarters has been asked by party brass to organize a competition between
local party branches to maximize media coverage.
Since President Ma Ying-jeou (°¨^¤E) reassumed the position of party chairperson
in 2009, it has been Ma¡¦s hope that the party would become a campaign machine by
abandoning traditional methods of stumping and prioritizing the dissemination of
propaganda, the sources said.
Ma was party chairperson in 2006, but stepped down in 2007 after prosecutors
indicted him for misuse of special allowance funds during his time as Taipei
mayor from 1998 to 2006.
The party brass has often stressed the importance of ¡§media politics¡¨ and the
key role propaganda plays in media politics, sources said, adding that in the
Jan. 14 presidential and legislative elections, Ma¡¦s campaign was described
within the party as the most propaganda-centric team in party history.
Relatively speaking, the KMT¡¦s party affairs system has for a long time been
conservative and is not adept at public relations, and sometimes even acts as if
¡§the less trouble, the better,¡¨ and keeps its distance from the media, according
to the sources.
Because of this, local party branches do not rely on propaganda and instead
focus on the traditional method of stumping, the sources said, adding:
¡§Propaganda is really not the KMT¡¦s cup of tea.¡¨
The sources added that the KMT¡¦s party affairs system¡¦s mantra is: ¡§Not having
any positive reports on the party is fine, as long as there aren¡¦t any negative
reports.¡¨
Although there are no further elections this year, KMT officials have asked
local branches to begin attracting media coverage, and that there would be four
evaluations this year on the effectiveness and results of party propaganda as an
index of local branches¡¦ efficiency, according to the sources.
Local party headquarters should learn to place an emphasis on the media in daily
affairs and try to actively dominate coverage, sources said.
The sources said the KMT¡¦s local branches are feeling pressure from the demands
of party headquarters and have already begun to brainstorm on how to control
media coverage.
Translated by Jake Chung, staff writer
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