Reporting that a gathering of many young people was dominated by the elderly, as if only about 100 people were present despite a huge crowd, is tantamount to acting as a scoundrel who has abandoned journalistic integrity. ⒸHankookilbo

It’s been a few years since I canceled my subscription to C Daily, a so-called ‘major media outlet’ that I had subscribed to for decades. They occasionally call to ask if I have any intention of subscribing again. Each time, I curtly reply, “I’ll subscribe when the newspaper acts like a newspaper.” They have no conscience, telling me to subscribe while producing such content.

I haven’t watched TV in years either. The world has changed, and I now follow various international affairs, including the Middle East situation, through diverse YouTube channels. I gain a more accurate understanding of events through these than through the biased news filtered by domestic media.

Whether it's left or right, pro-government or anti-government, I respect the editorial stance each media outlet pursues and do not wish to argue about right or wrong just because it differs from my opinion.

However, I cannot tolerate reporting facts that are demonstrably false, facts that anyone can see by being present at the scene. For years, even when so many people gathered in Gwanghwamun, they claimed it wasn’t newsworthy, so I let that slide.

Recently, at a rally held at the Olympic Park Handball Stadium to protest the shortage of ballot papers for young voters, broadcasting stations showed up with their cameras. Newspaper reporters visited without any identification, so it was impossible to tell if they were there.

While broadcasting cameras captured a few people standing in a corner, ignoring the vast crowd, an announcer was recording that about 100 people had gathered, only to be strongly protested by the young demonstrators.

Furthermore, the young people were at the forefront, chanting for a rerun election due to fraudulent voting and for manual counting on election day. The elderly were cheering them on from the shade of trees. However, the broadcast focused only on the elderly gathered, reporting as if the older generation was the majority and the young people were dwindling.

The announcer and cameramen on site were also young people. I believe they wouldn't have done this on their own initiative, ignoring the huge crowd and filming small groups or areas where the elderly were gathered, unless instructed by their editors.

The broadcast crew members who came for coverage were also young, and they saw what was happening on the ground. They couldn't have acted that way voluntarily.

I have attended the rallies at Olympic Park multiple times. Their demands are simple: to guarantee their right to vote as a protest against the unprecedented shortage of ballot papers, and to implement manual counting on election day to ensure that votes are tallied as cast.

If the National Election Commission cannot resolve such simple demands, it should be disbanded. When the goal is to create a transparent voting and counting system, where is the distinction between the ruling and opposition parties, or between left and right? Any group that refuses to do so can only be considered a criminal organization aiming to profit through illicit means.

It’s the same for media outlets. I will concede a hundred times that I don’t want to question the editorial stance each company pursues. I don’t want to argue about why they are not reporting certain things. However, they should not deliberately distort facts that are plainly visible.

Reporting that about 100 people were present, as if only a small number had gathered despite a huge crowd, and portraying a gathering of many young people as being dominated by the elderly, is simply an act of a scoundrel who has abandoned journalistic integrity.

I eagerly await the day when I can voluntarily subscribe to major newspapers and public broadcasters again, but I won’t be too disappointed. The world is full of excellent YouTube channels, and new reputable media like ‘Hankookilbo’ and regional newspapers like ‘Gyeonggi Daily’ are expanding their reach. I hope the downfall of JTBC will serve as a stepping stone for new reputable media to grow.

◆ Dr. Kim Jae-soo

Doctor of Informatics. Former Director of the Agency for Defense Development. Former distinguished professor at Kyonggi University. Former 5th and 6th President of the Republic of Korea ROTC Patriotic Comrades Association. Currently, co-representative of the National Movement to Abolish Privilege and Chairman of the Gukmin Foundation Bit.