有別於過去的「內容分析法」，本文利用五次立法委員選舉結束後所進行的民意調查訪問資料，以《中國時報》、《聯合報》、《自由時報》及《蘋果日報》為對象，試圖從「閱報民眾」的角度切入，分析1992 年至2004 年臺灣閱報民眾的人口結構及政治態度之變化。研究結果發現，臺灣民眾閱報的比例也有下滑的趨勢，且各報讀者間除了存在人口結構上的差異外，也呈現出「高齡化」及「教育程度提升」的現象。此外，從民眾認知的角度也顯示各家報紙的報導內容存在著「政治偏差」，其中，《自由時報》偏向「泛綠」政黨；《聯合報》及《中國時報》偏向「泛藍」政黨；《蘋果日報》則較不具政黨偏向。而《自由時報》讀者傾向「泛綠政黨」、「臺灣獨立」及「臺灣人認同」的政治立場，且有逐年擴大的趨勢；《聯合報》及《中國時報》的讀者則相反，其傾向「泛藍政黨」、「兩岸統一」及「中國人認同」。若觀察這十多年來的趨勢變化則發現，《聯合報》及《中國時報》讀者「藍多於綠」的差距正逐漸縮小，反觀《自由時報》讀者「綠多於藍」的差距則日益擴大。

This paper explores changes in the demographic characteristics and political attitudes of newspaper readers in Taiwan from 1992 to 2004. The data used in this research are taken from face-to-face interviews conducted after the Legislative Yuan elections. This study finds that fewer and fewer people read newspapers every year, and that four different groups of newspaper readers with different demographic characteristics exist. For every kind of newspaper, readers are becoming older, and the level of their education is increasing. Also, readers perceive political biases in newspaper content. The Liberty Times tends to favor “pan-green” parties, the United Daily News and the China Times tend to favor “pan-blue” parties, and the Apple Daily does not favor any particular party. People who most often read the Liberty Times support “pan-green” parties and Taiwan independence and identify themselves as being ethnically Taiwanese. This phenomenon is becoming increasingly obvious from year to year. People who most often read the United Daily News or the China Times support “panblue” parties and unification with China and believe themselves to be ethnically Chinese. By observing changes over the past twelve years, the author also finds that the extent to which “pan-blue” readers outnumber “pan-green” readers for the United Daily News and China Times is decreasing, but the number of “pan-green” readers of the Liberty Times readers is surpassing the number of “pan-blue” readers.