2008 PeoPo Citizen Journalism Forum to prospect the vision of citizen journalism in Taiwan

"2008 PeoPo Citizen Journalism Forum", organized by Public Television Service, PeoPo Citizen Journalism Portal, and Department of Radio, TV, & Film of Shih Hsin University, held yesterday in the auditorium with participation from several bloggers, social workers, elites from mass media industry in Taiwan to prospect the status of citizen journalism in Taiwan.

Continued with some topics from 2007 PeoPo Citizen Journalist Summit Party, 2007 Citizen Journalism Unconference during the Wikimania 2007, and first-ever "30-seconds question challenge by citizens" in the first official debate of 2008 Taiwan Presidential Election, topics in this forum mainly focused on participation and progression of citizen journalists, elites in this forum also did a simple SWOT analysis on the development of citizen journalism in Taiwan.

In the opening topic of "Questions from the citizens in the official debate of '2008 Taiwan Presidential Election': General Overview", Feng-chia Chuang, Deputy Editor-in-chief of Central News Agency, described several kernel issues on sectors like background, political approaches of questioners, topics and views of questions suspected by media in Taiwan.

In the next 3 topics related to citizen journalism on "community development", "citizen journalism in Taiwan", and "burgeoning and rising next media", lecturers described some examples from local citizen journalists' participation on several key social incidents like "2000 Pachang Creek Incident (in Chinese: 八掌溪事件)", "Planning Argument of Losheng Sanatorium (in Chinese: 樂生療養院爭議)", and "Homelessness in Taiwan".

Therefore, "A-shaw" Hsun-hsiao Chen, Deputy Professor of Fu Jen Catholic University, analyzed the past and the presence of the information technology and transformations of mass media in Taiwan. And Po-ru Chen, Executive Officer of Chia-yi Community University analyzed differences on social phenomena, lifestyles, and culture between Northern and Southern Taiwan, and difference between urban and rural areas in a rapid-changing era of citizen journalism.

In a general view of "2008 PeoPo Citizen Journalism Forum", the citizen journalism in Taiwan especially in some townships and communities in Central and Southern divisions, showcased significant cultures differ from Northern Taiwan. Multiple and mature convergences in the rising Web 2.0 era was grown up after participation by citizen journalists in Taiwan. Executives in this forums initiated the communities can continue good interactions to help the citizen journalism grown up in Taiwan.