President Tsai addresses 2022 AIBs
On the evening of November 11 (morning of the same day in London), President Tsai Ing-wen delivered remarks via video at the AIBs, the annual awards ceremony held by the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB). President Tsai said that Taiwan has come a long way in our pursuit of press freedom and is now recognized as having one of the freest media landscapes in Asia by Reporters Without Borders. Noting that Taiwan has established a new Ministry of Digital Affairs to help promote media literacy and improve national cybersecurity, the president said that we have also been encouraged to see that our initiatives to promote transparency, fact-checking, and media engagement have tangibly benefited the public. President Tsai reiterated that Taiwan is committed to a free and open media, and we are willing and ready to help advance media freedom across the broader international community.
A transcript of President Tsai's speech follows:
I want to thank AIB for partnering with Radio Taiwan International (RTI) to recognize the important work done over the past year by media organizations and journalists worldwide.
The stories shortlisted for this year's awards reflect the many challenges that we face today, from the pandemic, to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, to the struggles for freedom in countries around the world. Amid the global expansion of authoritarianism, the spread of disinformation and crackdowns on media freedom have placed unprecedented burdens on journalists.
In the face of these shared challenges, it is imperative that we work together to uphold press freedom and make our societies more resilient to authoritarian influence. A free press and an informed public are essential to government accountability and a functioning and more resilient democracy.
We are keenly aware of this because Taiwan has come a long way in our pursuit of press freedom. In the space of just a few decades, Taiwan broke down longstanding restrictions on civic participation and the media.
Today, Taiwan is home to a vibrant media landscape, recognized as one of the freest in Asia by Reporters Without Borders. We are also pleased that more and more international media outlets are stationing correspondents in Taiwan.
At the same time, however, Taiwan is the target of more external disinformation than any other country. With our decades of experience in countering authoritarian influence operations, we understand better than most how authoritarian actors seek to sow social and political discord in democracies.
We also know that our responses to the spread of disinformation must be rooted in democratic governance that values transparency and openness. To this end, we have established a new Ministry of Digital Affairs to bolster our ongoing efforts to promote media literacy and improve our national cybersecurity.
We have also been encouraged to see that our initiatives to promote transparency, fact-checking, and media engagement have tangibly benefited the public. An example of such initiatives is the regular press conferences held by our Central Epidemic Command Center throughout the pandemic that have helped expose disinformation and educate the public.
I am also glad to note that this year's AIB events include a series of discussions on Taiwan, with a talk by our Digital Minister Audrey Tang (唐鳳). We hope that by sharing our experiences with the international community, we can help one another in protecting media freedom and cultivate media literacy for the digital age.
Taiwan is committed to a free and open media, and we are willing and ready to help advance media freedom across the broader international community.
I want to extend my gratitude to everyone in attendance for your hard work, and my congratulations to all the nominees and award winners.
Your recognition today is richly deserved.
Thank you.