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The media environment in Taiwan is among the freest in Asia and is extremely competitive.

The main terrestrial TV networks tend to be politically partisan. Multichannel satellite and cable TV are very popular.

There are more than 170 radio stations, many of them with specific music formats. Phone-in programmes are particularly popular. There are hundreds of newspapers, all privately-owned.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to exert influence on Taiwanese media, says US-based NGO Freedom House.

It adds that key media owners have significant business interests in China or rely on advertising by Chinese companies, "leaving them vulnerable to pressure and prone to self-censorship on topics considered sensitive by Beijing".

There were 22 million internet users by July 2022, comprising 96% of the population (Internetworldstats.com). Facebook and messaging platform Line are leading social media destinations.