Presidential Election Misinformation: SETTV Sued for Fabricating Ko Wen-je and Eric Chu Phone Call

On July 20, 2023, SETTV published an exclusive report claiming with absolute certainty that TPP presidential candidate Ko Wen-je had held a phone call with KMT Chairman Eric Chu and met with KMT Secretary-General Huang Chien-ting to discuss political power-sharing for a 'Blue-White' coalition. The report was immediately denounced by both Ko's office and Eric Chu as 'completely fabricated, baseless' malicious fake news. When SETTV refused to retract and apologize, the TPP filed criminal charges for aggravated defamation against SETTV's chairman and reporters at the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, alongside a civil lawsuit claiming NT$1 million in damages. The scandal drew widespread criticism, condemning SETTV for fabricating news during a major presidential election to manipulate public opinion and suppress opposition candidates, severely violating journalistic boundaries.