FACT FOCUS
- Taiwan ranks second in Asia in the 2020 World Press
Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders.
- Smartphone ownership reached 95.2 percent in 2019.
The diversity of Taiwan’s media is reflected in the plethora
of outlets and intense competition within the industry.
The nation’s press operates in a media environment
that is one of the freest in Asia.
Taiwan was ranked 43rd globally and second in Asia
in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index released April
21 by France-based Reporters Without Borders. In the
survey of 180 countries and territories, Taiwan trailed
South Korea by one place, and finished ahead of
Japan, 66th; Hong Kong, 80th; Singapore, 158th; and
China, 177th. Norway, Finland and Denmark topped
the index, in that order.
Most types of media are engaged in an industrywide
transition to digital forms of distribution.
Print editions of magazines and newspapers, including
the four major dailies, continue to lose ground to
internet competitors. Drawing on Taiwan’s strengths in
information and communication technologies, e-publishing
is injecting fresh vitality into their development
as well as that of the local book publishing industry,
which released 41,021 new titles last year.
Taiwan boasts one of the freest media environments in Asia. (Pang Chia-shan)
Digitization of cable television has not only significantly
improved the visual experience of viewers, but also
unleashed more innovative and diverse broadband
services. With digitization virtually completed, cable
television has become an important platform for various
multimedia applications.