Electoral and Media fields in Taiwan:Language use of the Candidates During the 2008 Presidential Campaign

• Main Authors: Yoann GOUDIN, 顧友友
• Other Authors: Wi-vun Taiffalo CHIUNG
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/73504245526041393010

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 台灣文學研究所 === 96 === This research analyses how, through direct interactions with reporters, the media influenced the language choice of both candidates, MA Ying-jeou and Frank HSIEH during the Taiwanese presidential electoral campaign held in 2008. This study is based on the analysis of video and audio documents recorded in the field during one month of campaigning in February and March 2008, as well as various broadcasted materials such as electoral adverts and political debates, and finally a questionnaire for undergraduate students in three different news departments in Taiwan. Preliminary results show, on the one hand, how candidates are influenced by the presence of the reporters in matter of language choice. Indeed, whether the language choice strategy is in Mandarin Chinese official language or in different colloquial Taiwanese languages, whether it is spoken across the island, and despite their political party alignment, the presence of the reporters induces an obvious and very significant switch from Taiwanese languages to Mandarin. In fact, the candidates speak Mandarin to the Media on their own. On the other hand, this study proposes to interpret these results through sociological notions in order to demonstrate the existence of two distinct Media and electoral fields (both based on different language habiti as defined by BOURDIEU) and secondly through the concept of hegemony by GRAMSCI.