Can Taiwan Hold On to Its Press Freedom?
Taiwan remains one of the freest places in Asia for journalists, with a strong democracy and press freedoms, and relatively favorable working conditions. Proof of this can be seen in the country’s rise in the World Press Freedom Index. From placing 51st more than a decade ago, Taiwan had climbed to 24th by 2025. But political polarization, online harassment and growing public distrust are putting pressure on news organizations, contributing to a decline in the rankings this year. Notwithstanding Taiwan’s success as one of the remaining liberal and robust Chinese-speaking media ecosystems in the world, are warning signs beginning to emerge? On this episode of #CorrespondentsOnTaiwanPlus, host Andrew Ryan speaks with Taiwanese journalists Kris Lih of Domino Theory and Stacy Hsu of TaiwanPlus, who bring international experience to their respective roles as reporter and assignment editor, and share their thoughts on Taiwan’s evolving media landscape.
