An analysis of political economy and changing mass media policies in Taiwan: 1949-1990

This study seeks to explain the causes, consequences, and implications of changes in the Taiwan government's media policy, revealing links and relationships among economic development, the role of the state and policy formation. This analysis determines that in the case of Taiwan, social change, specifically political democratization and social modernization, was achieved as a result of economic development. The present researcher investigated the process of these changes based on Lipset's (1981) hypothesis that economic development is the precondition for political democracy, of which a free press is one of the important indices. This study employed qualitative and historical research methods. Data were collected in the research field through interviews with government and ruling party policymakers and analysis of relevant government documents on economic growth, political change, modernization, and government policy change regarding the mass media. For choosing interviewees three methods were used: snowball sampling, purposive sampling and random sampling. An accumulative approach was used to exhaust those relevant government documents to which the researcher was permitted access. The study found that the Taiwan experience of economic development, democratization and modernization process fully supports Lipset's hypothesis, confirming that a strong link exists between economic development and changes in mass media policies and in media industry. The study also found that economic development in Taiwan has been particularly conducive to subsequent modernization. Freedom of the press is guaranteed only by a modernized and democratic system. In a democratic society, ordinarily the government no longer imposes controls or restrictions on the mass media. The media become big enterprises which thrive economically by appealing to popular low tastes. Media monopolies which represent only the media owners' views also arise. Future studies relating to the topic of this study could employ media content analysis to examine the media's view on social change as revealed in news reports and editorials. In addition, a multiple research method consisting of a historical approach, content analysis, comparative study, and field research would be ideal in further studies of related topics.