Critical Security, Democratisation and Television in Taiwan

This title was first published in 2001. By examining the way the ruling Nationalist Party (KMT) dominated Taiwan’s three mainstream television stations before the introduction of political reform in the mid-1980s, the book provides an insightful investigation of how the media can be used as an instrument of both political power and emancipation. This new approach challenges many accepted assumptions about Taiwan’s political development, such as the sacrifice of democracy for stability and wealth and recognizes that threats to society often originate within the state itself, rather than from external forces. However, the development of public television also broadened the political agenda, allowing the Taiwanese population to express its will through collective activities and to exercise the power of (civil) society. Taiwan is an exciting case study with which to explore the post-Cold War understanding of Critical Security. A fascinating look at one of the world’s most rapidly developing nations, this book makes a striking contribution to a fresh area of political thought.