Self-Staged Fake Interview: Sanlih News Caught Having Its Own Reporter Impersonate Witness in Wu Nai-ren Nightclub Scandal

Around October 13, 2017, Sanlih E-Television (SET) News reported on DPP heavyweight Wu Nai-ren's visits to high-end piano bars. To enhance the dramatic effect and sensationalism of the report, SET News went so far as to arrange for one of its own beat reporters to impersonate an "eyewitness informant." The reporter was filmed from behind with a distorted voice to pretend to be an independent third-party witness making a spontaneous disclosure. This deceptive practice was soon exposed by internal staff. Anchor Liao Chieh-yu, refusing to broadcast fake news, angrily posted on Facebook: "If you can't find an informant, you can just quote the weekly magazines! What kind of trick is acting it out yourself?" she declared, protesting the lack of ethics. The exposure triggered public outrage and fierce condemnation of SET's journalistic integrity. Although SET later claimed the underlying story was true and only punished the staff involved for the improper staging, the "self-directed and self-acted" fake interview highlighted how the partisan media abandoned basic verification and manufactured news to manipulate public perception.