Abstract

Taiwan's recent experience of political regime transition suggests the existence of a strong correlation between the promotion of free and diverse media and the level of political change. The government's efforts to create a more liberal media environment are commendable, but, owing to the structure of the market and ownership patterns, the party of government (the Kuomintang) maintains a powerful influence over television and major newspapers. This makes the so-called new media, especially cable television and talk radio, particularly important to democratization in Taiwan. So far, however, they have tended to promote a divisive and adversarial political culture rather than true democratic consolidation.