SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

Concentration of media ownership and the threat to democracy in Taiwan

Abstract:

This event is co-organised by the Centre of Taiwan Studies, SOAS, and the student society “UK for Taiwan Media Freedom” as a round table forum. The forum will examine whether the prospect of media monopoly might soon occur in Taiwan and the impact it would have on Taiwan's freedom and democracy. Distinguished scholars and professionals will address relevant cases (i.e. UK's Leveson Report and China's Southern Weekly controversies) and issues (i.e. media monopoly, media in Internet age, and media pluralism) in the first hour, and the floor will be open to Q&A and discussions in the second hour.

About the speakers:

Prof. Gary Ranwsley is Professor of International Communications at University of Leeds. His principal research interests are in the broad area of international communications, especially public diplomacy and soft power, propaganda and information warfare. His research focuses on these areas within an Asian context with particular focus on China and Taiwan. In addition, he has research interests in political communications and democratisation.

Dr Ming-yeh Rawnsley is Research Fellow at the Institute of Communications Studies and Core Researcher at the White Rose East Asia Centre, University of Leeds from 2007 to present. In addition to her academic path, she also has professional experiences as a journalist, TV script writer and columnist for the media in Taiwan and China. Her research interests include East Asian Cinema, the media and democratization in Taiwan and China & trans-disciplinary science communications and education in Taiwan and in the UK.

Dr Monique Chu is Senior Teaching Fellow in Taiwan Studies at SOAS and Research Associate at Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS. Her research interests include the impact of globalisation on security with reference to the semiconductor industry, media in international relations, information security, Cross-Strait relations, and Taiwan's foreign relations. She is a co-principle investigator for an international research project entitled News across the Great Wall: Analyzing Taiwan, Asian, and Western News Media’s Web Strategies for Internet Users in China. She worked as an award winning journalist in Taiwan between her MPhil and PhD studies in international relations at University of Cambridge.