News Political Rhetoric During The Martial Law Period

This thesis explores the effect of politics, economics, and culture on media rhetoric. We begin with exploring the political atmosphere under the martial law period in Taiwan. Through the analysis of Kuomintang propaganda and editorial during this period, we can see the impact of the changing leadership and evolving social climate on linguistic rhetoric and ideology. We further divide this period into three different phases:Chiang Kai-shek administration in Taiwan, Chiang Ching-kuo administration under martial law, and Chiang Ching-kuo administration moving towards the abolition of martial law. Because the Kuomintang party elites exercised cultural hegemony, they created a new socio-economic structure in Taiwanese society; thus, they created a new path forward for Taiwanese society as a whole. Next we discuss the narrative style of objectives news and subjective editorial including various perspectives and viewpoints to better understand the political rhetoric of the martial law period. In addition, we explore how the party elites through the use of political rhetoric also implement their policies in other aspects of governing Taiwan. Finally, through the study of political discourse in Mainland China, we can better understand the rhetoric during the Cultural Revolution and compare and contrast that to the contemporary atmosphere in Taiwan.In the past the common consensus is that language is only a tool for communication. However, under the influence of politics, economics, society, and culture, language becomes much more complicated in its objective especially when used as a mass media tool. Furthermore, when language is used by the government as propaganda, it can become the invisible puppet lines that the party elites pull to shape the social environment. Political rhetoric often times convinces the masses to idolize and sanctify political leaders thus achieving higher levels of obedience and subordination. This thesis will explore how political, economic, and cultural rhetoric shape linguistic styles.In the forty year of martial rule in Taiwan, we can divide the political rhetoric into four general categories:anti-communist sentiment, reconstruction ideology, political leader idolization, and rally support for policies. In terms of political leader idolization, we can see it as the sanctification of Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Ching-kuo. We will divide the martial rule period in Taiwan into these three phases to better understand the fundamental rhetoric, syntax, and linguistic style.Before the Communist Revolution of 1949, the Mainland and Taiwan shared a similar linguistic root, but the split fueled by contrasting social, political, and economic atmospheres created a diverging rhetoric across the Strait.As a result of the Chinese Economic Reform of 1979 and the Taiwanese abolition of martial rule in 1987, cross strait animosity lessened in tension resulting in the convergence of rhetoric in the Mainland and Taiwan. This progression exhibits the tolerance of both sides for the other, bears witness to the greater diversity, and allows for the converged media rhetoric to advance together.