taiwan-news

name	taiwan-news
description	Taiwan news landscape — sources, biases, how to read Taiwan news critically.

Taiwan News Skill

Purpose

Help users understand Taiwan's news ecosystem — which sources exist, their political leanings, and how to read news critically.

When to Activate

• User asks about Taiwan current events
• User wants news source recommendations
• User needs to understand media bias in Taiwan
• User is confused by conflicting Taiwan news

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MEDIA LANDSCAPE

Key Concept: Pan-Blue vs Pan-Green

Taiwan's media is heavily influenced by political alignment:

Camp	Political Leaning	Generally Supports
Pan-Blue 泛藍	KMT, closer China ties	KMT, TPP
Pan-Green 泛綠	DPP, Taiwan independence	DPP

⚠️ Almost all Taiwan media has a lean. Read multiple sources.

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Major News Sources

Television News

Channel	Lean	Notes
TVBS	Pan-Blue	Major cable news
中天 CTi	Strong Pan-Blue	Now YouTube only (license revoked 2020)
東森 EBC	Moderate/Pan-Blue
三立 SET	Pan-Green	Strong DPP alignment
民視 FTV	Pan-Green
公視 PTS	Neutral	Public broadcaster, most balanced
華視 CTS	Moderate	Public, less political

Newspapers

Paper	Chinese	Lean	Notes
Liberty Times	自由時報	Pan-Green	Largest circulation
United Daily	聯合報	Pan-Blue	Established
China Times	中國時報	Pan-Blue	Owned by Want Want (China ties)
Apple Daily	蘋果日報	Was moderate	Closed 2021
The Reporter	報導者	Independent	Investigative, quality
Mirror Media	鏡週刊	Moderate	Investigative

English Sources

Source	Type	Notes
Taiwan News	Online	Quick updates, some clickbait
Taipei Times	Daily	Liberty Times affiliate (Pan-Green)
Focus Taiwan	CNA	Government news agency, factual
The News Lens	Online	Moderate, analytical
CommonWealth	Magazine	Business focus
Ketagalan Media	Blog	Opinion, analysis

Wire Services

Service	Notes
CNA 中央社	Taiwan's official news agency
Reuters	International, covers Taiwan
AP	International

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Reading Bias

How to Detect Lean

Pan-Blue indicators:

• Emphasizes cross-strait economic ties
• Critical of DPP policies
• Uses "mainland" (大陸) for China
• More coverage of KMT activities

Pan-Green indicators:

• Emphasizes Taiwan sovereignty
• Critical of China
• Uses "China" (中國) not "mainland"
• More coverage of DPP achievements

Neutral indicators:

• Presents multiple viewpoints
• Fact-focused, less commentary
• Transparent about sources

Verification Tips

1. Check multiple sources — If only one outlet reports it, be skeptical
2. Look for primary sources — Government statements, court documents
3. Check the date — Old news recirculates
4. Reverse image search — Verify photos
5. Search forums — site:ptt.cc [新聞標題] for local discussion

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Sensitive Topics

These topics are especially prone to bias:

Topic	Blue Spin	Green Spin
Cross-strait relations	Emphasize economic benefit	Emphasize security threat
US-Taiwan relations	Caution about provoking China	Celebrate support
COVID response	Critical of DPP handling	Praise Taiwan's success
Economy	Blame DPP policies	Blame global factors
Energy policy	Pro-nuclear	Anti-nuclear

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Misinformation Landscape

Common Sources of Disinfo

• Content farms — Clickbait sites copying/distorting news
• LINE groups — Forwarded messages, often false
• Facebook — Older demographics, more disinfo
• YouTube — Political commentary channels
• China-origin — Disinformation campaigns

Fact-Checking Resources

Resource	Chinese	What It Does
Taiwan FactCheck Center	台灣事實查核中心	Independent fact-checker
MyGoPen	MyGoPen	Debunks LINE rumors
Cofacts	Cofacts	Crowdsourced fact-check
DoubleThink Lab	台灣民主實驗室	Tracks disinformation

Always verify sensational claims, especially about:

• China threats
• Political scandals
• Health/medical claims
• Election-related news

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Getting News

Recommended Approach

1. Daily overview: Focus Taiwan (CNA) for facts
2. In-depth: The Reporter (報導者) for investigations
3. Multiple perspectives: Read one Blue + one Green source
4. International context: Reuters, AP for outside view
5. Local discussion: PTT for public sentiment

News Aggregation

Method	How
Google News Taiwan	news.google.com/taiwan
PTT News板	ptt.cc/bbs/news
Podcast	報導者 Podcast, 轉角國際

Social Media Caution

• PTT — Good for sentiment, but anonymous = unverified
• Facebook — Older users, more disinfo
• Twitter/X — Tech/politics crowd, some good accounts
• Threads — Growing, younger demographic

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Current Events Research

When researching Taiwan news:

Step 1: Get Facts

Search: Focus Taiwan OR CNA [topic]

Step 2: Check Bias

Search: site:ptt.cc [新聞標題] — see local reaction
Compare: Liberty Times vs United Daily coverage

Step 3: Verify Claims

Search: Taiwan Fact Check Center [claim]
Search: [claim] site:mygopen.com

Step 4: International Perspective

Search: Reuters OR AP Taiwan [topic]

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Historical Context

To understand Taiwan news, know these events:

Event	Year	Why It Matters
228 Incident	1947	KMT massacre, still sensitive
Martial Law	1949-1987	Media was state-controlled
First Direct Election	1996	Democracy milestone
First Party Turnover	2000	DPP wins presidency
Sunflower Movement	2014	Youth activism, anti-China sentiment
CTi License Revoked	2020	Media freedom debate

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Red Flags in Taiwan News

Be skeptical if you see:

• 🚩 "Anonymous source" with no verification
• 🚩 Extreme claims with no evidence
• 🚩 Only one outlet reporting
• 🚩 Emotional language, no facts
• 🚩 Old news presented as new
• 🚩 Screenshots instead of links
• 🚩 "Share before they delete this!"

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Resources

Official:

• 中央社 CNA: cna.com.tw
• Focus Taiwan: focustaiwan.tw
• 公視 PTS: pts.org.tw

Fact-Check:

• 台灣事實查核中心: tfc-taiwan.org.tw
• MyGoPen: mygopen.com
• Cofacts: cofacts.tw

Analysis:

• 報導者 The Reporter: twreporter.org
• 端傳媒 Initium: theinitium.com (HK-based, covers Taiwan)

⚠️ Media landscape changes. Verify current ownership and editorial direction.

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Read critically, verify always 📰