TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang
“People shouldn’t feel indifferent because this is what is happening to Taiwan.”Numbers are mechanical, cold, and perhaps sometimes, ruthless. But on the other end of the numbers is the countless lives that will forever affect the emotions of the families.
空無一人
5月20號，偌大的台北城，萬華區，空空無人。
身為中天電視記者兼主播的陳文越，在第一時間收到和平醫院疑似院內感染的消息，壓下可能被感染的恐懼與擔憂，她還是戴好口罩、護目鏡，抵達了現場。當天的在現場記者與攝影大哥很多，為了提供最即時前線的新聞消息，卻被路過的民眾投訴群聚，這讓她感到很困惑，就算整個社會停機，媒體工作者也沒有在休息。當然她沒有時間多想，問題出現只能先想辦法解決，各家媒體派出一名代表拿著所有媒體的麥克風給醫生，而她則是站在遠遠的另一邊，大聲將訪題唸出，這樣「遠距離」一問一答的方式，完成了採訪。
同一天採訪車又去了萬華區茶藝街，隔著車上的小窗，街道上一個人都沒有，因為有確診感染者，所以報導是在採訪車上進行即時Live連線報導，也是在那天她親眼目睹了空蕩蕩的龍山寺，距離她半年前大年初一採訪龍山寺百人拜拜祈福報導的盛況，已是截然不同。
社會歧見
疫情聊到一段落，我們談論了網暴，陳文越說，待在新聞界不長不短的時間，面對負面的評論，她依然保有著「鈍感力」，在台灣社會氛圍之下，許多網民因為不了解新聞工作內容，隔著屏幕帶風向、曲解，惡意攻擊，個性直腸子的她，會直接在留言區與網民溝通，提出質疑與回應，「現在我們會站在這裡，是因為清楚自己的定位與價值。」她的每一個回答，都保持著堅毅。
或許焦慮、抱怨、責問，對於戰勝這場無聲的硝煙都無濟於事，我們能做的，只有摒棄萬難，凝聚力量，攜起手來去行動，去改變。面對新聞工作者的苦，陳文越選擇用「行動」來消化：「身為資訊的傳遞者、真相的挖掘者，歷史的紀錄者，我義不容辭。」綜合上述三點，就是媒體工作者的身份。整個世界的脈動，疫情疫苗的數量，如果沒有記者，沒有人會知道社會變得如何，清楚知道自己的使命感，這是她撐下去的初心。
新聞理想
其實每一個行業都有其辛酸的一面，這也是多數人看不到的，以新聞工作者來說：普遍的低薪、短時間趕稿的壓力，將正確的資訊傳播給民眾，是一場時間與速度的賽跑。她呼籲網民不要言語霸凌，多一點深度思考能力，用更多元、宏觀的角度去看待事情的本質，不管是疫苗分配等等，閱讀不同類型的新聞報導，有助於加深事件的認知。
「有幾分熱，就要發幾分光，我們都要去面對，保持同理心，不管是對於醫護、警消、一線的指揮人員，每一個人都在自己的崗位上奮鬥著。」
她又回到了那種狀態裡，積極、向上、似乎永遠都不會低落。揮別中天3年又9個月的日子，轉台任職到TVBS，站在新聞工作者的崗位，她想要持續為自己、為社會去發聲，夏天已經到來，寒冰必將消融，期待早日見到所有人的笑顏，沐浴在夏日的陽光燦爛。
A Ghost Town
On May 20th, 2021, Taipei City was empty. Wanhua District? A ghost town. As a reporter and anchorwoman of CTI Television, Canelle Chen received first-hand information that there had been suspected health-care associated infections going on at the Taipei City Hospital Heping Branch. Suppressing her fear of being infected, she still chose to put on her surgical mask and protective goggles properly and arrived at the scene. That day, many reporters and cameramen were there to deliver the most immediate news from the front line to their audience. Yet, civilians passing by filed a complaint for unsafe gatherings. Canelle was confused, because even if the whole city was on lockdown, media workers were not. Of course, at the moment, she didn’t give it much thought and dealt with the problem promptly. They ended up having a representative from each news channel to pass the microphone to the doctor, while reporters stood far away and read their questions out loud. With patience, they finished their interviews by going through each question and answer whilst keeping a safe distance.
On the same day, Canelle visited the area where all the tea parlors in Wanhua are located. Through the window of the car, she saw that there was not one single soul on the street. Due to the confirmed cases, she had to conduct her live interview in the news van. It was the same day she witnessed a completely empty Longshan Temple, a stark contrast to what she saw just a few months ago when the temple was packed with people during Chinese New Year.
Social Divergence
After we talked about the pandemic, we discussed the matter of cyber violence. Having worked in the news industry for a respectable time, Canelle is able to maintain this “aloofness” towards the negative comments online. In our society, since a lot of people do not understand what exactly a media worker does, they type away their misinterpretation and attacks behind their screens. A straightforward person, she chooses to respond directly through her social media in the comments section, in the hopes of having a discussion with them. “We stand where we are because we know our position and value.” Through Canelle’s each response, she kept her firm and stood her ground.
Perhaps anxiety, complaints and questionings are not going to be helpful as we try to fight all the online anonymity. But what we can do is overcome the challenges, gather our strength and join forces to make real change with our actions. Facing the difficulties of being a journalist, Canelle chooses to use “action” as her solution: “It is my duty to be the transmitter of information, the discloser of truth and the recorder of history.” Summarizing these three roles, this is the identity of a media worker. From the complex issues of how our world functions to simpler matters like the number of vaccines available, without reporters, no one will know what the society has become. Understanding her sense of purpose is the fuel that keeps Canelle on her feet.
The Ideal of Journalism
It is true that each industry has its downside that most people do not acknowledge. For someone who works in the news industry, it is the considerably low salary and the pressure of meeting deadlines—it is all a race with time to deliver the most accurate information in the shortest amount of time. Canelle urges the people on the internet not to cyberbully and try to look at things with a more diverse, in-depth and accepting manner. Whether it’s about vaccine distribution or other issues, a broader reading of different news materials will help with understanding the current situation.
Back in work mode, her positivity and uplifting attitude never seem to waver. Having bid her farewell to CTI Television after her three years and nine months of stay, she has now switched her path to TVBS. Holding her position as a media worker in the news industry, Canelle Chen will continue to speak for herself and for our society. As summer arrives, the ice is bound to melt and hopefully we will soon see everyone’s smile again, bathing in the summer warmth and shining with newborn brightness.