Taipei: The Taiwan Alliance for Self-Regulation of Online News (TASON) was launched Monday, coinciding with Taiwan’s Journalists’ Day on Sept. 1, with 23 news media outlets signing up to take part.

According to Focus Taiwan, the alliance aims to safeguard Taiwan’s online news freedom based on the principles of truth, professionalism, self-regulation, transparent oversight, and digital accountability. The alliance has called on more media outlets to join in creating a truthful, professional, and trustworthy digital news environment.

Amid growing competition in an increasingly digital and algorithm-driven media landscape, TASON plans to build a governance platform combining internal oversight and citizen participation. The platform will expand self-regulation through systematic principles, transparent complaint and correction mechanisms, and collaboration among information stakeholders to improve the quality and credibility of news reporting.

Lin Wen-chun, convener of the alliance and editor-in-chief of ETtoday’s news department, emphasized in a pre-recorded video that the alliance represents a reconstruction of media values, noting that the value of news should not be measured solely by its click-through rate.

Hakka Radio Chief and alliance deputy coordinator Chuang Sheng-hung highlighted the crisis of declining trust faced by Taiwanese media, as outlets often cross ethical boundaries to pursue higher click-through rates. He expressed hope that the alliance will help boost Taiwanese news media.

Andy Y.H. Liang, publisher of Business Today, stated that media should be self-regulated as the fourth power. He mentioned that the subjects of news reports should be treated fairly, which led to the establishment of a complaint channel to broaden public participation and help Taiwan’s journalists earn greater respect.

Digital Minister Lin Yi-jing expressed concern about false information on the internet and its implications on press freedom, urging for discussion and self-regulation in the media industry.