【Article by GCIT】

On March 30, the Master’s Program in Global Communication and Innovation Technology (GCIT) at National Chengchi University (NCCU) invited Arthur Rochereau and Irene Chien, Advocacy Officer from the Asia-Pacific Bureau of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), to share their insights and engage in a profound exchange with GCIT students.

The session highlighted a critical paradox in the current media environment. According to the World Press Freedom Index published by RSF, while Taiwan ranks 24th globally and demonstrates high democratic values, public trust in media remains at only about 30% due to political polarization and sensationalism. In response to these figures, Chien stated that RSF is actively advocating for media reform in Taiwan by calling for the protection of editorial independence and the establishment of independent regulatory mechanisms to strengthen Taiwan's democratic defenses.

Addressing the accelerated spread of disinformation caused by AI technology,Rochereau pointed out that everything from factual errors in chatbots to the prevalence of deepfakes has made it difficult to distinguish truth from fiction. He emphasized: "Public trust in media is declining year by year because people find it increasingly difficult to verify the authenticity of the information they receive."

To rebuild information trust, RSF is promoting the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), an ISO-certified international standard. This initiative assesses media transparency to help readers and industry leaders like Microsoft quickly identify high-quality news.

Simultaneously, to address the impact of algorithms on the information environment, the organization is collaborating with The Forum on Information and Democracy to provide policy recommendations to digital platforms. The initiative advocates for a holistic digital reform, starting with the integration of Diversity by Design to break echo chambers and empowering users to determine their own algorithmic experiences. Such measures are coupled with a call for platforms to disclose their secretive computational rules, a necessary step to prevent the sacrifice of public interest and human rights.

During the event, Arthur Rochereau and Irene Chien also sought the perspectives of GCIT students on AI-generated disinformation. The dialogue facilitated an in-depth exploration of the international news environment within the digital landscape. Through this conversation with experts from a frontline international organization, GCIT students not only recognized the severe challenges facing global communications but also gained a deeper understanding of how international initiatives and practical regulations can intervene to reshape trust in information.

【全球傳播與創新科技碩士學位學程獲文化部與教育部高等教育深耕計畫補助。】