The Media and Democracy in China and Taiwan

Abstract

This essay offers a comparison of the media in the People's Republic of China and Taiwan within the context of the processes of regime transition in Asia, and argues that this comparison is meaningful only if we avoid a state-centred approach. The discussion contrasts the prevailing authoritarian-style management of the media in China with the liberalization and market competition that characterizes the media landscape in Taiwan. Asking if Taiwan offers a model for eventual democratization of China's media, the essay explores the problems associated with the style of journalism that Taiwan has adopted, and considers whether market forces really are a panacea for the customary problems of democracy.