Untangling Taiwan’s Hybridity With Structural Dysfunctions

Abstract

Taiwan’s exceptionally high Internet penetration and social media adoption rates, combined with the growing centrality of digital tools and networks in shaping national politics, make it an interesting case for Internet researchers. This essay considers Andrew Chadwick’s notion of The Hybrid Media System in the context of recent political events in Taiwan. While Chadwick’s analysis is particularly useful in understanding political anomalies like the Sunflower Movement, we argue for the value of considering more substantial long-standing structural issues in attempts to understanding the political media landscape in Taiwan. Using the examples of online astroturfing during political campaigns and the spread of disinformation during the Kansai airport incident, we point out that long-standing structural factors such as the dysfunctional practices of journalists in newsrooms, the clear political slants of media in accordance with media ownership, and the traditional political power rooted in the society hold enduring sway on how politics is mediated.