Taiwan's Press Freedom Index Declines, Reporters Without Borders: Internal Media Issues Are the Biggest Problem
Taiwan's ranking in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index dropped to 28th. Wu'er Kaixi of Reporters Without Borders stated that "media owners' boardrooms and editorial offices that have never truly respected journalists" are the biggest problems. He emphasized the need for media independence and increased public awareness.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 17:26
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 17:32 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 17:57 (25 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Taipei, April 30, Central News Agency reporter Chiu Tsu-yin) Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, with Taiwan ranking 28th, a drop of 4 places from last year. Wu'er Kaixi pointed out today that "the boardrooms of media owners and editorial offices that have never truly respected journalists" are the biggest problems.
Wu'er Kaixi, an honorary board member of Reporters Without Borders, attended the press conference for the release of the "2026 World Press Freedom Index" today. He stated that Taiwan has been democratized for over 30 years, ranking among the top in "Freedom House" democracy rankings, and its legal environment for press freedom is relatively relaxed. However, public awareness of information protection has never been deeply rooted.
Wu'er Kaixi said that although successive democratically elected governments have adhered to the principle of not interfering with the media, "press freedom" has also been repeatedly used as a political rhetoric for elections, becoming a mere formality.
Wu'er Kaixi particularly emphasized that what truly hinders Taiwan from entering the top tier of global press freedom is within the media itself. He said that when media operators think that owning a media outlet allows them to control the direction of reporting, journalists and editors must stand up and say: "No, sir. We receive your salary from you, but we are journalists, we are editors, and we have independent journalistic judgment."
Wu'er Kaixi threw the problem to the audience, calling on Taiwanese media readers and viewers to actively pressure the media, "Don't feed us what (media) bosses deem important; we deserve real information."
Wu'er Kaixi frankly stated that Taiwan now needs a new version of democratization—not of the political system, but of media culture. "Let journalists and editors bear greater responsibility!"
However, Taiwan's performance in the World Press Freedom Index has indeed been outstanding in recent years, consistently ranking among the top in Asia. Wu'er Kaixi believes this is the result of the Taiwanese people's accumulated efforts step by step, but there is still room for improvement.
Wu'er Kaixi mentioned that he just returned to Taiwan from Washington, USA. This trip made him clearly feel that the current world is undergoing drastic changes, with no one knowing the direction. He believes that it is precisely in such turbulent times that adherence to values and ideals becomes particularly crucial.
Wu'er Kaixi believes that "Taiwan can not only assist the world but also teach the world how to achieve goals in issues of freedom and democracy."
As for Taiwan not reaching the highest standard in the press freedom index, Wu'er Kaixi expects Taiwanese journalists and media professionals to work hand in hand to "push Taiwan from excellent to perfect," emphasizing that this is the driving force that has propelled Taiwan forward for the past 30 years, and it is a task that remains uncompleted. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150430
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(Taipei, April 30, Central News Agency reporter Chiu Tsu-yin) Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, with Taiwan ranking 28th, a drop of 4 places from last year. Wu'er Kaixi pointed out today that "the boardrooms of media owners and editorial offices that have never truly respected journalists" are the biggest problems.
Wu'er Kaixi, an honorary board member of Reporters Without Borders, attended the press conference for the release of the "2026 World Press Freedom Index" today. He stated that Taiwan has been democratized for over 30 years, ranking among the top in "Freedom House" democracy rankings, and its legal environment for press freedom is relatively relaxed. However, public awareness of information protection has never been deeply rooted.
Wu'er Kaixi said that although successive democratically elected governments have adhered to the principle of not interfering with the media, "press freedom" has also been repeatedly used as a political rhetoric for elections, becoming a mere formality.
Wu'er Kaixi particularly emphasized that what truly hinders Taiwan from entering the top tier of global press freedom is within the media itself. He said that when media operators think that owning a media outlet allows them to control the direction of reporting, journalists and editors must stand up and say: "No, sir. We receive your salary from you, but we are journalists, we are editors, and we have independent journalistic judgment."
Wu'er Kaixi threw the problem to the audience, calling on Taiwanese media readers and viewers to actively pressure the media, "Don't feed us what (media) bosses deem important; we deserve real information."
Wu'er Kaixi frankly stated that Taiwan now needs a new version of democratization—not of the political system, but of media culture. "Let journalists and editors bear greater responsibility!"
However, Taiwan's performance in the World Press Freedom Index has indeed been outstanding in recent years, consistently ranking among the top in Asia. Wu'er Kaixi believes this is the result of the Taiwanese people's accumulated efforts step by step, but there is still room for improvement.
Wu'er Kaixi mentioned that he just returned to Taiwan from Washington, USA. This trip made him clearly feel that the current world is undergoing drastic changes, with no one knowing the direction. He believes that it is precisely in such turbulent times that adherence to values and ideals becomes particularly crucial.
Wu'er Kaixi believes that "Taiwan can not only assist the world but also teach the world how to achieve goals in issues of freedom and democracy."
As for Taiwan not reaching the highest standard in the press freedom index, Wu'er Kaixi expects Taiwanese journalists and media professionals to work hand in hand to "push Taiwan from excellent to perfect," emphasizing that this is the driving force that has propelled Taiwan forward for the past 30 years, and it is a task that remains uncompleted. (Editor: Lung Po-an) 1150430
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is a force protecting press freedom.
Download Central News Agency's "First News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.