Taiwan’s Chinese Television System (CTS) has apologized for displaying a false headline on a news ticker Wednesday morning. The headline said a Chinese missile struck New Taipei City, causing damage to a naval vessel docked at the Port of Taipei. CTS said the headline was part of an emergency broadcast simulation which wasn’t meant to air.
Culture Minister Lee Yung-te said the mistake shouldn’t have happened. He said he has ordered an immediate review and report on the incident. Lee said CTS will take steps to make sure similar incidents don’t happen again.
Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said his ministry responded to CTS’ blunder swiftly. He said the mistake has turned out to be a very good lesson for Taiwan’s media. Chiu said Wednesday’s error shows that the country’s military is on top of information circulating in Taiwan. He said his ministry stands ready to fight false and erroneous information as soon as it surfaces.
CTS has said that it will discipline the employee responsible for letting the headline air.