Taiwanese Media and Press Freedom

30-Second Overview

Taiwanese media evolved from the party-state monopoly during martial law to today's diverse media ecosystem following the lifting of censorship and the liberalization of television. In 2026, Taiwan ranked 28th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), having been 24th in 2025.¹

The current landscape includes major newspapers, five terrestrial television stations (TVS, CTS, CTV, MBS, CCTV), numerous cable and satellite channels, and digital-native media that emerged after the 2010s.

Faced with challenges such as misinformation, political polarization, and declining advertising revenue, the pressure for transformation in Taiwanese media has never been more acute.

Keywords: Lifting of censorship, liberalization of television, Reporters Without Borders, media literacy, digital transformation, misinformation

Why It Matters

Press freedom is a cornerstone of democratic systems, and the history of Taiwanese media reflects the trajectory of its democratization process. The transition from a propaganda tool under authoritarian rule to a watchdog—the fourth estate—has not only influenced Taiwan's political development but also serves as a case study for other emerging democracies.

Under the threat of global information warfare and misinformation, Taiwan's media environment faces severe tests. Achieving a balance between freedom of speech and informational veracity is a core issue that Taiwan's deepening democracy must confront. The rise of digital media has changed the traditional media ecosystem while simultaneously creating new models of civic participation and new information risks.

The history of Taiwanese media is a compressed version of democratic history, undergoing institutional changes in 70 years that many nations take centuries to complete.

Martial Law Period: Party-State Media System (1949–1987)

Media Control Mechanisms

Media regulation during the martial law era centered on "press censorship": starting in 1951, new newspaper licenses were suspended. The existing major papers—the KMT party organ Central Daily News, China Times, and United Daily News—formed a "Big Three" structure, while the Military Intelligence Bureau controlled news content through pre-publication review systems. In television, the "Old Three Stations" dominated: TVS (1962, provincial government), CTS (1969, KMT), and CTV (1971, military). These three stations were each backed by dominant political factions; prime-time news broadcasts uniformly promoted government policies. Radio was dominated by official stations such as Zheng Sheng, China Radio, and Military Radio, with frequency allocation and content strictly controlled.

Media Function Positioning

Under the party-state media system, media functions were clearly defined: to propagate anti-communist nationalistic ideology and promote the achievements of the government. However, the entertainment function cannot be overlooked—the popularity of television gezaixi (opera), budaixi (puppet opera), and romantic dramas by Qiong Yao, along with the unifying power of sports broadcasts, allowed Taiwanese society to retain a vitality of popular culture within the cracks of authoritarian control.

This regulatory system operated for nearly four decades before the lifting of martial law in 1987, shaping the media consumption experience of several generations of Taiwanese people.

Post-Martial Law Media Deregulation (1987–1996)

Lifting of Press Censorship (1988)

On January 1, 1988, press censorship was officially lifted, ushering in the media "Wild West" era.² New papers such as Liberty Times (formerly Zijiaozhong Daily), Minzu Daily, and Taiwan Daily were successively launched or expanded. Each paper competed to capture readers through free distribution tactics, and the competition in color printing technology drove a visual revolution in layouts. Media political stances rapidly diversified during this period: Liberty Times leaned toward the pro-independence camp, while China Times and United Daily News favored the pro-unification camp, reflecting the reality of Taiwan's post-martial law political pluralism.

Television Liberalization and Cable TV Opening

The Cable Television Act was passed in 1993, ending the Old Three Stations' monopoly, which legalized underground broadcasting on the spot, leading to an explosive growth in channel numbers. MBS launched in 1997, becoming Taiwan's first private terrestrial television station; CCTV officially launched in 1998, establishing another media model not reliant on advertising revenue. The emergence of cable channels like ETtoday, TVBS, and Trinity led to the flourishing of political talk shows, making 24-hour news broadcasting the norm.

In just ten years after lifting censorship, Taiwan transformed from a media desert into a media jungle with channel oversupply—a pace of transformation rarely seen in global democratization cases.

Media Wild West Era (1996–2010)

Newspaper Industry Restructuring

The launch of Apple Daily by the Hong Kong media group in 2003 disrupted the newspaper ecosystem with its sensational covers and paparazzi culture, quickly rising to become a circulation leader. The "Big Four" structure was thus formed: Apple Daily, with the highest circulation; Liberty Times, with strong political influence from the green camp; China Times, aligned with the blue camp; and United Daily News, leaning toward the blue camp. This structure only collapsed when Apple Daily ceased publication in 2021.

Television Media Competition

News stations rapidly increased, with Trinity, ETtoday, TVBS, CTi, Yanda, and MBS competing to attract viewers with political talk shows. Programs like 2100 All Citizens Speak (TVBS), News Hacker (Trinity), and The Boss Speaks (MBS) created a unique "celebrity pundit culture" in Taiwan, where commentators with distinct political stances occupied screens every night, profoundly influencing the island's political discourse.

Emergence of Media Anomalies

Placing marketing became a structural problem during this period: governments purchased media coverage, blurring the lines between news and advertising, leading to declining media credibility. The phenomenon of clear blue-green media barriers and selective reporting also accelerated social polarization.

Digital Media Era (2010–Present)

Rise of Online Media

In the 2010s, pure online media successively appeared, filling gaps left by traditional media. ETtoday News Cloud rapidly rose based on click-through rates; Wind Media pursued in-depth reporting; Reporter offered independent investigative journalism through a non-profit model³; and Upatolia focused on finance and political professionalism (Note: Upatolia is translated as Shangbao or Upbao for context, but the original name should be maintained if possible. Using the provided translation context). Facebook and YouTube became major channels for news dissemination, and the influence of internet celebrities and KOLs gradually surpassed that of traditional media figures, while newspaper circulation continued to decline.

Misinformation and Media Literacy

During the 2018 elections, misinformation spread widely on LINE and Facebook, and accusations of information warfare from mainland China also surfaced. The Taiwan Fact Check Center was established in 2018⁴, building a verification mechanism alongside platforms like MyGoPen (Măgēpiàn) and Cofacts (Zhēn de jiǎ de). In 2019, the twelfth National Curriculum Guidelines (108th curriculum) listed "Science and Information Technology and Media Literacy" as one of the core competencies, attempting to build citizens' information discernment capabilities from the educational sector.

The Apple Daily Shutdown Incident (2021)

On May 14, 2021, the media group announced that the print edition of Taiwan Apple Daily would cease after its final issue on May 17, citing continuous operating losses, loss of advertising due to digital platform monopolies, and the deteriorating political situation in Hong Kong.⁵ A month later, on June 24, Apple Daily in Hong Kong ceased operations under pressure from the National Security Law. The "Big Four" were thus reduced to three; the entertainment news market reallocated, and the paparazzi culture began to wane. This incident also exposed the vulnerability of traditional newspapers in the digital age and the potential risks of media ownership concentration on the news market.

Characteristics of the Current Media Environment

Press Freedom Performance

In 2024, Taiwan ranked 27th, 2025 ranked 24th, and 2026 ranked 28th in the RSF World Press Freedom Index; Freedom House rated it as "Free." Direct government interference with news content has significantly decreased compared to the martial law era, and the space for media to criticize government policies and conduct investigative reporting has clearly expanded. However, political pressure, advertising boycotts, concentrated media ownership, and occasional threats to journalists' personal safety remain undeniable hidden dangers.

Media Ownership Structure

Taiwanese mainstream media is primarily characterized by corporate group operation. The Wangwang CTS Media Group (led by Tsai Yanming), the United Daily News lineage (founded by the Wang Tihu family), and the Liberty Times (the Lin Rongsan family) represent different media segments with distinct political leanings: Liberty Times, MBS, and Trinity lean green; China Times, United Daily News, and CTi lean blue. It is not uncommon for politicians to invest in media. For instance, CTi News Network was unanimously resolved by seven NCC commissioners in November 2020 not to renew its license, leading it to exit cable television and transition to online operations starting December 12; the Taipei High Administrative Court overturned this decision in a first instance review, sending it back to the NCC for reconsideration.⁶ In terms of public media, the Taiwan Public Media Foundation, CTV (which joined the Public Broadcasting Group in 2006), and Hakka TV and Indigenous Television provide voices outside commercial media.

Media Revenue Dilemma

The advertising revenue of traditional media has significantly shrunk; the digital advertising market is largely divided by Google and Facebook, and classified advertising has been replaced by online platforms. Facing this structural dilemma, various media adopt strategies such as subscription models, hosting events for increased income, seeking government project subsidies, and engaging in content licensing collaborations, but overall media operations remain under considerable pressure.

Regulations and Policies

Media-Related Laws

The legal framework for Taiwanese media regulation has been gradually built through regulations such as the Radio and Television Law (1976), the Cable Broadcasting and Television Law (1993), and the Satellite Broadcasting and Television Law (1999). The National Communications Commission (NCC), established in 2006⁷, is responsible for spectrum allocation, license issuance, and content management, designed as an independent agency to prevent political interference. In 2022, the NCC proposed the Draft Digital Intermediary Services Act, which intended for courts to issue "information restriction orders" against illegal content that platforms must comply with; however, the social controversy over who determines what is illegal or false caused it to be shelved in the same year and remains unlegislated.

Guarantee of Press Freedom

Article 11 of the Constitution of the Republic of China guarantees freedom of speech, and Judicial Interpretation No. 689 (2011) stipulated that journalistic activities "should be within the scope protected by press freedom."⁸ Various media have established self-regulatory committees, and industry associations such as the Media Industry Association and News Council form self-regulatory mechanisms, but their effectiveness varies significantly depending on the organization.

Response to Misinformation

Taiwan's current response to misinformation is mainly based on promoting fact-checking, voluntary management by platform operators, and citizen reporting mechanisms. After the Draft Digital Intermediary Services Act was postponed due to concerns over freedom of speech, the government has not yet found a clear legislative alternative.

Future Challenges and Opportunities

Structural Challenges

Taiwan's traditional media faces a triple structural crisis. Advertising revenue is largely captured by Google and Facebook; reader payment habits have not been established; and production costs continue to rise. The migration of veteran journalists to corporate public relations, coupled with low salaries for young reporters leading to talent drain, means that most small and medium-sized media struggle to keep up with the technological capabilities and funding required for digital transformation.

Emerging Opportunities

On the other hand, Taiwanese media has also shown new possibilities. Reporter, which operates on a non-profit model, has received international awards, proving there is a market for in-depth reporting in Taiwan. The emergence of citizen news platforms like PeoPo and podcast news programs has opened channels for public discussion outside mainstream media. AI assistance in news writing and data journalism visualization are also being implemented by some media outlets.

Policy Recommendation Directions

Policy suggestions commonly put forward by the industry and academia include: tax incentives for the press, increasing public media budgets, strengthening fact-checking mechanisms, and supporting media digitalization transformation. However, how policy resources are allocated and whether this affects media independence remains a core point of discussion.

The journey of Taiwanese media—from authoritarian control to free competition, and now facing digital challenges—reflects the complexity of democratic deepening. How to ensure information quality and media sustainability while maintaining press freedom is an ongoing critical task for Taiwanese society.

References

• National Communications Commission, [Taiwan Media Industry Development Report] (https://commsurvey.ncc.gov.tw/), 2025
• Reporters Without Borders, World Press Freedom Index 2024, 2024
• National Media Self-Regulation Committee of the Republic of China, Media Self-Regulation Report, 2024
• Taiwan Fact Check Center, Misinformation Status Analysis Report, 2025
• Department of Journalism, National Taiwan University (https://jschool.nccu.edu.tw/), Survey of Taiwanese Media Environment, 2024
• Ministry of Culture (https://nccwp.moc.gov.tw/home/zh-tw/white_paper), Media Industry Policy White Paper, 2023