How China Co-opted Taiwan's Traditional Media

When Taiwan’s government banned broadcaster CTi TV in response to widespread local protests against so-called “red media,” it was criticized for being undemocratic and curbing press freedom. What is red media, and at what cost does media sensationalization come in Taiwan? Find out more in this episode of Broken News.

In the five years after martial law was lifted in Taiwan, the number of newspapers and press outlets exploded. This resulted in a highly competitive and fractured market always vying for eyeballs. A scoop can make or break a news outlet’s reputation, but at what cost? The speed at which the media moves and the highly competitive nature of the field make it a breeding ground for disinformation. This episode focuses on CTi TV, a major media conglomerate in Taiwan that was singled out for punishment. It was criticized for being too blatantly pro-China in its reporting and drew public ire when they failed to report on the democracy movement in Hong Kong. The corporation was reprimanded and fined for reporting on their own false narratives, and then sensationally was denied a license to broadcast by the National Communications Commission (NCC). When the station was banned, many protested citing the ban as undemocratic and an attack on press freedom.

Through analysis of several key stories published by Taiwan’s media that were directly influenced by Chinese disinformation, as well as in-depth interviews with leading academics, reporters, and politicians, discover the truth behind the troubles in Taiwan’s media landscape.

CTi, United Daily News and the National Communications Commission all declined to be interviewed or to give a comment for this episode.