In this special collaboration with Ghost Island Media, host Emily Y. Wu discusses the importance of local and diverse perspectives when it comes to global coverage of Taiwan. Taipei-based journalists Silva Shih, Afore Hsieh, Wen-Yee Lee join Emily in this wide-ranging discussion.
Taiwan’s upcoming election has become one of the most closely monitored events in decades, drawing the attention of foreign press members, international scholars, and think-tanks. This heightened interest is reflected not only in the increased number of books published about Taiwan, spanning countries such as Denmark, Germany, and the U.S., but also in the creation of numerous high-quality newsletters dedicated to Taiwan this year.
As global attention on Taiwan intensifies, so does the significance of the work undertaken by domestic journalists. During a recent news forum hosted by RTI, the Chief China Correspondent of the New York Times emphasized the crucial role of local journalism, stating that the ideas shaping global news often originate from local reporting. In light of this, Emily, Silva, Wen-Yee, and Afore provide a glimpse into the landscape of local reporting during this period of rare foreign press attention and international curiosity focused on Taiwan.
Many thanks to our panelists, Emily, and the team at Ghost Island Media for partnering with us for this collaborative episode.
Shownotes:
“The Direst Straits : Why the Chinese Military Has Increased Activity Near Taiwan” by Silva Shih
“Uncovering the US-China Tech War: The Chip Rush in 21st Century America” by Wen-Yee Lee
“Un musée pour combattre le tabou des menstruations à Taïwan” by Philippe Leblanc with Afore Hsieh
Ghost Island Media is an independent media network focusing on urgent social issues that Taiwan has in common with the world. Launched in 2019, its 15 programs in podcast and TV have won Best Podcast Host (Taiwan), recognized by SITRA as a global circular economy solution (Finland), and nominated for the Excellent Journalism Award (Taiwan) and International Women’s Podcast Awards (UK). Their shows are in Mandarin, English, and French.
She is founder and editor-in-chief of Ghost Island Media, a multilingual independent media network based in Taiwan. She is the producer and presenter of “Metalhead Politics” and “The Taiwan Take” podcasts, as well as “Game Changers with Emily Y. Wu”, a 30-episode TV interview series on emerging leaders. She’s a Asia 21 Next Generation Fellow by Asia Society.
About our panelists:
She is head of data journalism at CommonWealth Magazine (天下雜誌) in Taiwan, where she’s also a managing editor. Prior to CW, Silva spent 5 years at the Financial Times Chinese in Beijing where she oversaw data-driven stories, graphics and cross-strait relations coverage.
Afore Hsieh is a local fixer for the Asia bureau of the French-language network of CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Prior to being a news assistant, she was a digital project manager at United Daily News in Taiwan. She has a strong passion for telling human-related stories, and has reported news and feature stories both in Taiwan and abroad.
She is a tech reporter with Business Weekly Magazine (商業周刊) in Taiwan, covering Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain. She has been covering the semiconductor industry since 2018 and is particularly interested in exploring how technology, especially in the semiconductor field, intersects with global geopolitical dynamics.