The Principle of Secret Investigation and Media Coverage：he Murder Case of the South Link Railway Train Derailment as an Example
Date Issued
2008
Date
2008
Author(s)
Chen, Yi-Fang
Abstract
In 2006, the murder case of the South Link railway train derailment shocked the society. Under the media’s intense and chasing coverage, the former quite little town of Taitung became the famous “Taian Rest Area.”urprisingly, as the case underwent investigation, the media was able to reveal much investigatory details to the public. It is puzzling that if the general principle that many relevant information should remain undisclosed until the investigation closes stands, how is it possible for journalists to expose so much secret in detail? How does the “Principle Secret Investigation” function in actuality? How does the media attain the threads and information for their coverage, if the access to the details discovered throughout investigation is protected?his paper begins with a close description of the murder case of the South Link railway train derailment. Secondly, this paper aims to explore the relationship between the “Principle of Secret Investigation” and “press freedom”, and consequently to decipher the fine line between “media coverage” and “information disclosed by the investigating agency. ” Next, the paper focuses on its central question: “Where does the media attain the details of investigation?” To seek possible answers to this question, I traveled to Taitung, Pingtung, and Kaoshiung to meet and interview persons related to this case to restore the story prior to media presentation, and to understand the actual practice of the “Principle of Secret Investigation” and “media coverage.” This paper will conclude with a discussion on the present status of the practical functions of the principle of secret investigation and offer observations and perspectives on certain problems Taiwan journalists facing.
Subjects
the principle of secret investigation
press freedom
media coverage
the fatal case of the South Link railway train derailment
prosecutor
police
journalist
SDGs
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