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Assignment#8 Research Proposal

The Attitudes and Opinions of Mainstream Newspapers in Taiwan's Presidential Election Towards the Communist Party of China (CPC)

11204604 Hong Tse Wen

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Introduction:

The 2024 Taiwanese presidential election has garnered global attention. The Communist Party of China (CPC) has attempted to influence the election through various means. Taiwan's three major newspapers exhibit differing tendencies towards the CPC, the Kuomintang (KMT), and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The primary difference lies in the editorial stance towards the CPC. This study aims to investigate which newspapers lean more towards identifying with or opposing the CPC, and to what extent.

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Question:

What are the attitudes of these three newspapers towards the CPC government? Are they wary or confrontational, or do they exhibit goodwill and trust? How significant are the differences in their stances?

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Research, Sources and Units:

The study focuses on the period from the end of the presidential candidate registration on November 24, 2023, to the election day on January 13, 2024, spanning 51 days. It involves a comparative analysis of the attitudes expressed in the editorials of the three newspapers.

Sources: Daily editions of Liberty Times, United Daily News, and China Times from November 25, 2023, to January 14, 2024 (51 days in total).

Unit: Each editorial (153 units in total)

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Coding Structure:

  • Negative: -1 point

(Discussions related to the CPC with attitudes of criticism, wariness, or confrontation)

  • NA: 0 points

(Content unrelated to the CPC)

  • Positive: +1 point

(Discussions related to the CPC with attitudes of approval, understanding, or goodwill)

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Coding Process:

  • Calculate the number of editorials with negative or positive views as a percentage of the total number of editorials (51).
  • Compare the ratio of negative and positive views across the three newspapers to determine their inclination towards or against the CPC.
  • Sum the number of editorials with positive or negative views and divide by the total number of editorials (153) to represent the extent to which the editorials discuss the CPC, indicating the importance given to the China factor.