45 MARTINDALE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE In defense of democracy: Taiwan’s independent media Trinity A. Price Independent media in the Republic of China (Taiwan) is targeted by the unification efforts of the People’s Republic of China (China). Taiwan’s independent media is faced with propaganda, censorship, and disinformation attacks by China that aim to endanger its autonomy as a democracy. This article discusses relevant laws that protect speech and press freedoms as well as Taiwan’s current defenses against disinformation that provide a framework for future resistance to unification. Introduction The Republic of China (Taiwan, ROC) actively maintains its governing autonomy in its crossstrait relations with the People’s Republic of China (China, PRC). Taiwan’s self-governance, proudly upheld through constitutional protections and democratic institutions, establishes the foundations for this independence and supports efforts of resistance. China continually pursues what it calls “reunification” with Taiwan, creating tensions in vital sectors, including efforts to dismantle the independent media. Taiwan, however, continues to combat China’s efforts through its democratic constitution and laws. China’s unification agenda has historical roots dating back to the Chinese Civil War (1927–1949), which established Taiwan’s separate governance from mainland China. After the war, and then four decades of martial law, Taiwan’s independent media emerged. A new and distinct pathway for media would follow. As a free press evolved, however, China’s reunification agenda increasingly targeted Taiwan’s media. This article showcases how under democracy, Taiwan’s democratically protected media, free and independent from governmental control, faces existential threats from China’s systematic campaign of propaganda, censorship, and disinformation. Essential aspects of Taiwan’s democracy, like freedom of speech and of the press, are challenged by Beijing’s multipronged assault. Taiwan’s innovative safeguards include constitutional protections for freedom of publication supported by legislative frameworks that encompass press freedoms. Analysis of Taiwan’s ability to combat disinformation through law highlights promising countermeasures against propaganda and censorship—suggesting that even against an authoritarian superpower, a young democracy’s media institutions can develop effective resistance. Background During the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) fought the Nationalist Party, Kuomintang (KMT), for control of China. In 1949, facing defeat, the KMT’s leader, Chiang Kai-shek, ordered the KMT (including its army and followers) to flee to Taiwan, where martial law was then enacted (Kagan, 1982). The KMT opposed communist ideals, and, under authoritarian rule, Chiang Kai-shek wanted to ensure Taiwan’s ideals aligned with the KMT instead of the now ruling party of the mainland. With martial law in effect, strict censorship was imposed and the Government Information Office controlled media regulation, leaving Taiwanese citizens no legal ability to influence media coverage (Skrzypczak, 2019). Martial law continued until 1987, and with its ending, the number of media outlets in Taiwan experienced an uptick thanks to less regulation by governmental authority. A competitive media landscape developed that further aligned with Taiwan’s emergence as an independent democracy separate from authoritarian rule and China. Taiwan’s media landscape Contemporary Taiwan has numerous media outlets that provide citizens with diverse content. Like most media outlets in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, print media (newspapers, magazines, etc.) was an essential part of the circulation of news, both factual and entertainment. By 2013, the top four print media outlets produced in Taiwan were Apple Daily (pro-independence; circulation, 380,000), China Times (pro-unification; 100,000), Liberty doi:10.18275/pbe-v043-007
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==