The Interplay of Candidate-Initiated and Journalist-Initiated Agendas in the 1996 and 2004 Taiwan Presidential Elections

Abstract

This study examines the interplay of candidate-initiated issue agendas and journalist-initiated issue agendas in the 1996 and 2004 Taiwan presidential elections. The study indicates that both agendas influenced each other, but unequally*the candidate-initiated issue agenda had a greater impact on the journalist-initiated agenda than vice versa. The results were interpreted with discussions of the media’s campaign reporting and the candidates’ campaign management in Taiwan.