TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foxconn founder and presidential hopeful Terry Gou (郭台銘) has received backlash from the press for not allowing reporters to ask questions directly and tweaking questions reporters submitted during a press conference.
TVBS reporter Liu Ting-ting (劉亭廷) wrote on Facebook that when she arrived at the event’s venue on Tuesday (April 18), she was handed a “question form” to fill out. She questioned why Gou, who called for a technological approach to governing Taiwan, did not prepare an online form like other press organizers.
More importantly, she questioned the need to fill out a form, which she was told was for Gou’s team to organize the session.
Before the event, the host provided the press a timeline of the event: Gou would first sing the national anthem, read Sun Yat-sen’s (孫中山) last will, present his achievements during his trip to Japan, then answer reporters’ questions. However, the press learned the host would be asking the questions on behalf of reporters during the Q&A session, and no direct questions could be asked.
Terry Gou starts his press conference by reading Sun Yat-sen's last will. (CNA photo)
Liu wrote that all reporters at the event were aghast. She told the host that such an arrangement diminishes the purpose of holding a press conference, but the host was “firm” in sticking to this procedure.
“If the event was a product announcement or something non-political, it would perhaps be fine for the organizer to set out rules for the press conference’s procedure and format. However, Gou is a political figure, and if he wants to run for a major position with power to run the country, he must face off with the press,” Liu said. She said that Gou, as a politician, is subject to public supervision, and the public would want to observe his answer, attitude, and body language in response to reporters’ questions.
According to Liu, when the Q&A session began, the host further angered the press by altering their questions with subjectivity and repeatedly “praising” Gou between questions. “Having worked in the field for so many years, this really was the first time I’ve seen such an absurd press conference," Liu said.
Liu said her original question read, “There are reports that prior to your trip to the U.S., you wanted to visit Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) but were denied a meeting. Is that true? Do you have plans to meet Ma Ying-jeou?” Instead, Liu said the host asked, “TVBS asked … There were some issues with your communication with Ma Ying-jeou, is that true? It seems you couldn’t get in touch? Was there something like that?”
“At the moment, I was truly shocked, because this was not ‘asking on the press’ behalf,’ this was ‘pretending to ask on the press’ behalf’ while misunderstanding, twisting, beautifying, and deflecting,” Liu wrote. She immediately shouted in protest that the host did not read her question correctly, but her voice was overpowered by the microphone.
According to Liu, by announcing at the last minute that the press would not be allowed to ask questions directly and not conveying the submitted questions honestly, Gou’s team severely damaged the press’ trust in them. “Moreover, it makes people think that Gou is unwilling to be examined by the public," Liu added.
Terry Gou poses for a photo under a portrait of Sun Yat-sen. (CNA photo)