The board terms of current directors and supervisors of Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA, 財團法人中央通訊社) end on June 30. As its supervisory body, the Ministry of Culture announced on June 24 that while the news outlet's current chairman Liu Ka-shiang (劉克襄) will carry on leading the agency, a list of candidates for CNA's new board has been submitted to the Executive Yuan, the nation's highest executive body, for further review and approval.
Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te said the candidates for CNA's ninth board of directors and supervisors are prominent personages with expertise in various fields, including cultural affairs, international relations, journalism, law, and public engagement, as the national news agency shoulders several tasks, such as providing news services for news outlets home and abroad, deepening international understanding of Taiwan, and facilitating exchanges with oversea news agencies.
As the nominees are of different generations and equipped with diverse perspectives, it is hoped that the 96-year-old agency will adapt to an innovative way of thinking and be blessed with new energy, the Minister said.
Expressing faith in Liu's leadership, Lee said that over the past three years, the prominent nature writer has been committed to common welfare and public service media by integrating the resources of CNA and the Taiwan Broadcasting System, a public broadcasting group that operates the Taiwan Public Television (PTS).
Under Liu's lead, CNA now publishes biweekly digital journal "Culture + (文化+雙週報)" to cover more cultural news in Taiwan and abroad. The agency has also been keen on establishing overseas footholds, broadening the scope of cooperation with international media outlets, and setting up a Media Lab (媒體實驗室) to address the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, Lee added.
The Minister pointed out that the agency has been ranked as the one of the top and most trustworthy news sources in Taiwan. To navigate an ever-changing media ecosystem, CNA shall continue to work to become a shared multi-platform media service and a more digitalized and international news outlet, the Minister added.
Further stressing his expectations of CNA, Lee said the agency shall uphold the tenets of professionalism, impartiality, and objectiveness, play the role of a respectful cultural promoter in Taiwanese civil society, and advance with the times through thoughtful applications of technological tools and devices while staying true to the timeless values of journalism.
CNA is tasked with offering Taiwanese citizens first-hand international news, fostering a greater understanding of Taiwan on the international stage through multilingual convergence services, and exerting international influence as national news agencies are expected to do, the Minister concluded.
Candidates for the board of directors include:
1. Chu Yu-hsun (朱宥勳), columnist
2. Huang Hsiu-ju (黃秀如), editor-in-chief of Rive Gauche Publishing House (左岸文化)
3. Antonio Chiang (江春男), vice chairman of General Association of Chinese Culture (中華文化總會)
4. Cheryl Lai (賴秀如), consultant of Cultural Taiwan Foundation (文化台灣基金會)
5. Kuo Cheng-lung (郭崇倫), deputy editor-in-chief of United Daily News
6. Tu Nien-chung (杜念中), senior media professional
7. Chang Tien-wan (張典婉), senior media professional
8. Richy Lee (李怡志), assistant professor at Shih Hsin University's Department of Journalism
9. Ado' Kaliting Pacidal (阿洛．卡力亭．巴奇辣), television host at Taiwan Indigenous TV
10. Tu Wen-ling (杜文苓), professor at National Chengchi University's Department of Public Administration
11. Chen Tsui-lien (陳翠蓮), professor at National Taiwan University's Department of History
12. Cheng Hsiu-chuan (鄭秀娟), principal of Wenshan Community College (文山社區大學)
13. Kenneth H.C. Chiu (邱晃泉), chief executive of Kew & Lord law firm
14. Sun Cheng-wu (孫承武), CNA Labor Union representative
Thee three nominees for the board of supervisors are:
1. Hu Yuan-hui (胡元輝), professor at National Chung Cheng University's Department of Communication
2. Denny Kuo (郭政弘), chairman of Deloitte Taiwan
3. Chiang Ya-chi (江雅綺), associate professor at National Taipei University of Technology's Graduate Institute of Intellectual Property
An appointment ceremony is expected to take place on July 1, and the new board members are set to assume their posts on the same day. Read the original press release here.