台湾媒体新闻思想深受由儒家“文人论政”传统和西方自由主义及社会责任论的影响。日据时期,台湾媒体以宣传、启智、反殖民为宗旨，意图言论报国；国民党威权时期则是对上谏诤、对下教化，民营报纸与党公营报纸既强调新闻自由又兼顾社会责任。报禁开放后，市场力量日益彰显，《苹果日报》入台带动台湾报业全面市场化，以市场为依归、以受众好恶为指针的新闻思想极大地冲击了“文人论政”的传统。互联网的发展为台湾媒体提供拨乱反正的契机，以多元、互动、去中心化为特点的公民参与式新闻渐成风潮，为台湾媒体实现社会责任论所强调的民主社会“看门狗”功能扩展了新的空间。

Taiwan journalism philosophy is deeply influenced by Confusion tradition of “Intellectuals Commenting on Politics” and western press philosophy of liberalism and social responsibility. During Japanese occupation, Taiwan press focused on advocating anti-colonialism and enlightening pubic. Later when Chinese Nationalist Party took control and implemented martial laws, the press took the job of monitoring government behavior and educating its people. After the lift of the press ban, the industry tried to make more profit by all-round marketization thus deeply impacted the old tradition. With the development of Internet, Taiwan develops its citizen participatory journalism with the characteristics of diversification, interactivity and de-centralization, therefore provides new arena for media to fulfill its social responsibility as “watch dog” in a democratic society.