BBC Looks at Taiwanese Media's 'Hunting' of the First Family for 20 Years: Chen Xinyu Exposes Divorce, Why Does It Sound the 'Boundary of the Right to Know' Alarm?

Chen Xinyu, the daughter of former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, has recently revealed her divorce, becoming the focus of Taiwanese society once again after 20 years. This incident has reignited discussions about the ethics of media pursuit from 20 years ago. As the 'president's daughter' and due to Chen Shui-bian's corruption case, Chen Xinyu has been surrounded and harassed by the media for many years. In 2009, while traveling to the U.S. to take a dental exam, she was pursued by the media on the street and, in front of the camera, scolded the reporters as 'flies and perverts,' claiming they were trying to 'drive her to death.' In the public eye, Chen Xinyu has long been burdened with the image of being 'out of control.' However, 20 years later, some media professionals have admitted that the intense interviewing methods at the time were inappropriate, and online opinions have criticized the reporting for causing her immense mental pressure. Scholars have analyzed for BBC Chinese that Chen Xinyu, due to her public status, has received a great deal of external attention, but the incident also involves the boundaries of media interviews and whether they constitute an invasion of the private sphere.