Globalization and change in taiwan's media: The interplay of political and economic forces

For decades prior to the late 1980s, Taiwan's authoritarian government tightly controlled the media and used it as a political tool and ideological apparatus. However, the globalization and liberalization trends of recent years have had their influence, and since the 1990's Taiwan's media has been liberalized at a much faster pace than much of the rest of Asia. Employing an historical analysis approach and a globalization theoretical framework, this study examines how the media in Taiwan has evolved in the era of globalization, and the significance and implications of this evolution. Specifically, this paper explores how Taiwan's media was liberalized, how the major functions of the media shifted, how the media environments were changed, and how the ‘closed’ media system was integrated with the global media system. It also discusses the new challenges and problems facing Taiwan following its liberalization.