Treading a Fine Line: Democratisation and the Media in Taiwan

This article surveys the development of Taiwan's media from authoritarian to democratic government. In particular, it addresses the reforms to the media since the election of President Chen Shui-bian in 2000, but questions whether these reforms have gone far enough. Problems of media ownership and the absence of clear definitions of classified information remain, while the development of tabloid-style journalism, image-based election propaganda and negative campaigning are equally challenging. Together, these developments contest the assumption that there is a clear distinction between private and public in Taiwan that is respected by the media, their audiences, and the politicians they elect.