Cliffhanger

A fictional TV drama has come under fire from Taiwan's media regulator for inaccuracies in its story lines. The highly rated police drama 'Taiwan Pili Fire' has been accused of distorting the truth about Taiwan's judicial process. The familiar formula of high drama and cutting legal deals in back rooms is apparently a bad influence on the youth of today.

The Government Information Office (GIO) is expected to deliver an official warning to the show's producers. Psychologists and legal experts are being engaged to discuss the show's impact on audiences, specifically the way it misinforms people about the workings of legal and court processes.

The show tracks the work of undercover detectives and their heroic and tireless efforts to bring down the bad elements in society, replete with unorthodox tactics and moral dilemmas. It has been running for more than a year and has aired more than 250 episodes, cultivating a strong following among young adults.

But the GIO, reacting to complaints from pressure groups, says the inaccuracies could be damaging to the audience and society as a whole. It says that the show has bent, if not broken, the broadcast law. Among the prohibitions is the broadcast of content that could cause psychological or physical harm to children, or spread misinformation. GIO officials are reportedly planning a seminar tomorrow on the issue with various experts.

The GIO is also responsible for monitoring the print media, yet it rarely calls editors to task over inaccuracies reported as facts. That a fictitious TV drama should be held accountable for misleading society has raised eyebrows.

Local and overseas soaps are immensely popular in Taiwan, and are riddled with mistruths that could be put down to artistic license. In this case, an external group or person, possibly related to the judicial system, clearly motivated the government's action. Will it happen again? To be continued...