Editor’s note: This article was translated by ChatGPT-5 and Google Translate, and manually refined. You can see the original version in Chinese here.
On August 28, the Taiwan FactCheck Center (TFC) held a special screening of the documentary A Thousand Cuts in Nangan, Lienchiang County, followed by a post-screening forum with nearly 20 participants engaging in lively discussion.
“The judiciary and other aspects led by former Philippines President Duterte in the documentary felt repulsive to our generation. I believe this could never happen in Taiwan—we are democratic and free.”
— Wang Chien-Hua, Director of the English Resource Center, Lienchiang County Education Department, at the Matsu screening of A Thousand Cuts
The film documents the real-life struggles of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, founder of the independent Philippine media outlet Rappler, as she stood up against authoritarianism and disinformation.
The forum was moderated by TFC Head of Education Po-Hua Chen and featured Wang Chien-Hua—former principal of Ren-Ai Elementary School and former Director of Civil Affairs in Matsu County Government—who guided participants with a local perspective.
Audience said the film made her rethink the threats of disinformation to democracy: “Astroturfing without facts is really harmful, but I admire Ressa’s spirit—she never bows her head.”
Other participants reflected on AI’s role in amplifying disinformation, stressing personal responsibility in discerning truth: “Some people maliciously fabricate contents, but sometimes it’s about wanting to see content we already agree with. It’s not that we can’t tell fake news—it’s that we like what we like.”
Another participant connected the film to Taiwan’s death penalty debate, questioning Duterte’s drug war: “At that level of power, Duterte bullied journalists and the entire ecosystem. The initial intent—killing drug dealers to help people quit—may have sounded good, but were all the victims truly guilty? Can their investigations really restore reality?”
Wang concluded with Ressa’s words: “Without facts, there is no truth; without truth, there is no freedom; without freedom, there is no democracy.” He urged everyone to step out of echo chambers, reflect critically, and strengthen media literacy.
Teacher Workshop: Hands-On AI and Podcast Training
Earlier that day, TFC conducted a six-hour media literacy workshop as part of the county-wide teacher training program, attracting nearly 30 teachers across Matsu.
The morning session, “Introduction to Fact-Checking: A Course for Young Detectives,” was taught by Chen, while the afternoon session, “AI in Audio Literacy: A Hands-on Podcast Creation Guide,” was led by TFC’s video editor Dong-Jhan Tsai. Within three hours, teachers worked in groups to produce eight podcast pilot episodes, experiencing both the convenience and limitations of AI tools and editing software.
Participants described the workshop as highly rewarding, with some educators even requesting follow-up courses for parents on children’s online safety—showing the pressing demand for information literacy in Matsu.
Completing the Taiwan Outlying Islands Outreach
This trip to Matsu marked TFC’s final stage of bringing the Taiwan Media Literacy Program to the outlying islands. Following visits to Penghu and Kinmen in 2023, the program has now reached Matsu—fulfilling its promise to prioritize underserved groups such as elderly, rural residents, indigenous, and immigrants.
Over the past four years, the lectures, workshops, and screenings in rural and offshore communities have consistently revealed strong local interest and needs. Moving forward, the TFC team hopes to collaborate with local education departments, lifelong learning centers, and community colleges to plant the seeds of media literacy more deeply, working together to safeguard Taiwan’s information environment and democratic resilience.
