Regime transition and the media in Taiwan

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.