Taiwan's Kaohsiung City recently experienced 18 dengue fever cases—which actually represents the entire nation's total of 18 cases. Premier Su Tseng-chang publicly criticized Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu for running around the country pursuing a presidential bid instead of fulfilling his mayoral duties. On June 19, he dispatched Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai to Kaohsiung to personally preside over an epidemic prevention meeting. However, Han Kuo-yu covered his mouth and whispered to Chen Chi-mai's ear, asking "Why did dengue fever break out?" The TV stations recorded everything, sparking controversy and dragging Han Kuo-yu into another scandal.
TV station camera microphones—each costing approximately NT$100,000—are unidirectional mics equipped with windscreens. As long as the direction is accurate, they can clearly capture even whispered conversations in noisy environments. They can even clearly pick up the gurgling sound of water being poured into a cup, and the audio quality doesn't degrade when amplified.
Based on the body language between Han Kuo-yu and Chen Chi-mai, Han Kuo-yu clearly covered his mouth and deliberately lowered his volume while whispering to Chen Chi-mai's ear: "Why did dengue fever break out? This chronic outbreak is really a problem." He obviously didn't want the media or onlookers to know.
But the TV station's microphone was positioned right next to Han Kuo-yu's mouth. Covering his mouth actually amplified the sound effect. In contrast, Chen Chi-mai's response—"There are too many disease-carrying mosquitoes, plus the environment here is complex with the Da-Zhong Interchange, Jinshi Lake, the funeral home, and wetlands all nearby"—wasn't covered by his hand, so the sound wasn't recorded as clearly.
Looking at political figures caught by "microphone" gaffes: Recently, KMT legislator Chiang Wan-an, while occupying the speaker's platform, mentioned that "people who support Han Kuo-yu tend to be less rational," letting his true thoughts slip. However, he overlooked that his microphone hadn't been turned off and the session was being broadcast live. Some of Han Kuo-yu's supporters who heard this flooded Chiang Wan-an's social media with insults. Chiang hastily issued an apology, explaining his position.
In February 2019, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je visited Yangmingshan and used profanity while discussing Democratic Progressive Party councilwoman Hsu Shu-hua with the then-park director Huang Li-yuan. The entire conversation was broadcast live, and the councilwoman even held a tearful press conference claiming she was wronged. However, Ko Wen-je responded that it was a "non-public occasion" and a "private inquiry" about azalea planting, while the park director also claimed it was a "private" report to the mayor about "certain councilmembers' concerns."
Was this truly a "private occasion"? In reality, during media coverage, microphones remain on throughout and record all sound that can be captured, with editors later extracting necessary segments. Political figures shouldn't assume that in the presence of media, they can say things "off the record" that don't represent their political stance or public positions. If they do, honest remarks made in such settings become "exposed office politics," potentially swaying votes.
Microphone Types:
Omnidirectional
Omnidirectional microphones have equal sensitivity to sound coming from different angles. They're commonly used in recording projects where you need to capture the entire environmental sound; or when the sound source is moving and you want to maintain good audio pickup; they're also suitable for simultaneously capturing multiple sound sources, such as during online conferences. The downside of omnidirectional mics is that they easily pick up surrounding environmental noise. Their manufacturing process is simpler and they're relatively inexpensive.
Unidirectional
Common unidirectional types include cardioid or hypercardioid patterns, which have optimal pickup of sounds coming from directly in front of the microphone while attenuating sounds from other directions. They're designed to record sounds within the microphone's designated direction. Due to different manufacturing processes from omnidirectional mics, they're more expensive but don't easily pick up unwanted noise. For users who don't want to capture surrounding environmental noise, unidirectional is the best choice.
Han Kuo-yu and Chen Chi-mai were both former candidates in Kaohsiung's mayoral race. Once this conversation became public, it sparked public debate questioning whether Han Kuo-yu was focused on city governance. Meanwhile, Chen Chi-mai, despite his promotion to vice premier, personally returned home and directly identified the probable causes and locations of disease-carrying mosquitoes in Kaohsiung during this exchange, earning him praise as the "true Kaohsiung mayor" from many.
