In Reporting Nothing Beats Being There, Being Close Counts

Michael Hedges October 10, 2022 - Follow on Twitter

International news organizations look strategically when setting up - or closing down - news bureaus. The most important foreign outposts were established long ago, generally with the intention of staying put. The logistical dimension is clear: operating a foreign bureau requires more than staffing. Everything must be thought through.

At the end of September CNN International opened a bureau in Taipei, Taiwan. It will be home base for long-serving Asia international correspondent Will Ripley. “As the world order shifts, we are seeing the increasingly pivotal role of Taiwan,” said CNN Asia Pacific managing editor Ellana Lee, in a statement (September 28). “Having a team permanently based there gives us vital insight into that piece of the Asia-Pacific jigsaw in a rapidly evolving global geopolitical picture.” CNN now has eight Asian editorial operations, Taipei joining Beijing, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Islamabad, New Delhi, Seoul and Tokyo.

Mr. Ripley relocated to Taipei from Hong Kong. Prior to that experience he had been based in Tokyo, Japan. During his two decade Asian assignment, he reported extensively from North Korea. In January he was named senior international correspondent as Nima Elbagir was promoted to chief international investigative correspondent.

Taipei has become the new default choice for international news bureaus in Asia. Taiwan, itself, is a growing hub for international business, particularly high tech. Despite the annoying Chinese missiles occasionally flying overhead and other sabre rattling, Taiwan offers essential stability along with minimal government interference and a high standard of living. Public transport is excellent and health care provision quite good. Obviously, available tech support is world-class. The downside: it’s an island. A flight to Tokyo takes three hours.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently touted new journalist arrivals, 22 registered since the first of the year, quoted by VOA (August 28). “We provide for freedom of speech and press and respect these rights in practice,” said the statement. Seven of the 22 had exited China. “As a result of the expulsion order by the Chinese government, we have relocated some affected correspondents in various locations in the region, including Taipei,” said New York Times Company spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha.

Taiwan authorities have aggressively promoted Taipei as a relocation destination for foreign media organizations since the well-reported crackdowns in Hong Kong by Chinese authorities, which has “infuriated China,” noted the Financial Times (April 20, 2021). Western correspondents decamped in 1949 to Hong Kong, then a British colony, from Beijing “leaving behind reporter from the Soviet bloc.” Fearing the wrath of Chinese authorities, foreign media outlets have been “wary” of opening bureaus in Taipei. That seems to be changing. There is no better China listening post.

Coincident with the CNN International announcement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that 29 foreign media outlets have turned to Taiwan since 2020, employing 63 reporters. Currently, there are in Taiwan 137 reporters representing 75 organizations from 20 countries. To date, foreign correspondent contingencies are greater in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore. Reporters - foreign and otherwise - in each of those cities are experiencing pressures from authorities.

Taiwan now has an English-language free-to-air linear television channel, TaiwanPlus, intended to compete with English-language Chinese state outlets, reported AFP (October 3), and “bring Taiwan to the international community,” said Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen. For a year it operated as an online streaming service through the Taiwan public broadcaster. So far, it aggregates programming from existing public and private sources. TaiwanPlus is also distributed via a dedicated YouTube channel.

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