Concepts and Practices of Taiwanese Press Under Japanese Colonial Rule:The Case of Taiwan Minpao

Taiwan Min Pao published by intellectuals in 1920s is the first modern press in Taiwan during Japanese colonial time. The founder set up this paper as a medium run by Taiwanese people , and endeavored to change it into a mass medium. This study focuses on the development of Taiwan Min Pao and elaborates the practices of 1920s Taiwan intellectuals as the owner of this press. To build a framework of the concept and practices of the Taiwan Min Pao, this study reviews major study of press theories and related literature on press under colonial rules. According to the literature review, the key factors for the construction of a press including historical contexts, social needs of media and role of media. Their practices include operation model, the relationship with colonial government, readers and competitors. This study adopts the historical approach to analyze the main discourse of the paper, mapping out the different concepts and practices in these two period of Taiwan Min Pao. According to the analysis, as the political movement of that time adjusted its aim, founders of this paper felt the needs to change role the press to enlighten people in the mean time. Under the strong control of the colonial rule, founders set up Taiwan Ching Nien(1920-1923) as a mobilizer, calling the participation of intellectuals in the movement. However, as the political movement was changed into petition for the establishment of a Taiwanese Parliament, to deliver the message into the wider Taiwanese society, founders developed Taiwan Min Pao(1923-1926) as an educator, spreading their ideas to enlighten people, trying to improve the inferior situation of the Taiwanese.