Investigating the rise of new energy media issues in Taiwan--Using 2001-2005 China Times e-newspaper as an example

  • Mavis Tsai, Department of Radio, TV and Film, Shih Hsin University, Taiwan
  • Mrs Jing-Yi Gao, FuXing Radio Station, Taiwan
  • The research of "new energy" mostly focuses on the R&D of science and technology. The analysis of how media report this new issue and the question of social science orientation has not been emphasized. However, energy crisis, environmental protection consciousness and new energy development have already become an important social and media issue in the 21st century. This research used content analysis as a study method. The researchers used content analysis to analyze China Times e-newspaper in Taiwan. This study collected 1,124 new energy related news stories from 2001 to 2005 to systematically draw samples according to year layering. The study sample added up to 612 news stories. The research results showed the media reports concerning new energy presented a trend of which is from moderately increasing to rapidly increasing since 2001 to 2005. The frame of media also changed following the different stages. At the earlier stage, the "government response" is principal; at the middle stage, the "locality attitude" and the "cooperation in enterprise investment" are more pronounced; at the later stage, the "event influence" is more emphasized. Besides, according to this research on new energy subject matter, news sources quote authorities and scholarly experts at a higher rate, nearly 50% or so, than the news sources quote the general public, less than 10%.