When speaking out goes too far: Framing Taiwan's #MeToo

This study investigates digital public discourse on Taiwan's #MeToo movement as expressed through YouTube videos and user-generated comments, capturing both media framing and grassroots reactions within a participatory online culture. Drawing on Framing Theory (Entman, 1993) and Digital Discourse Analysis (Khosravinik, 2023; Kopf, 2025), the study analyzes a purposively sampled dataset of 3200 anonymized comments from 37 YouTube videos. The videos, stratified across mainstream, public, and independent sources, were selected to reflect ideological diversity and engagement levels. Thematic coding was conducted in NVivo14, complemented by framing analysis to examine discursive patterns. Findings reveal that Taiwan's #MeToo discourse is deeply polarized, structured around competing frames: gender justice, political manipulation, media bias, and public hysteria surrounding gendered allegations. Supporters frame #MeToo as a vital movement empowering survivors and exposing systemic injustice, while critics view it as radical feminism, partisan weaponry, or media-driven hysteria. Debates over false accusations, due process, and “trial by media” reflect broader tensions between evolving gender norms and enduring Confucian expectations. Taiwan's polarized media landscape, divided between pro-DPP and pro-KMT affiliations, further fueled perceptions of selective reporting and political instrumentalization. This study demonstrates how digital platforms like YouTube mediate the localized reception of global feminist discourse. It calls for balanced media reporting, legal reforms that ensure both justice and fairness, and public education on gender issues. By examining the intersection of gender, power, and digital activism, the research contributes to feminist discourse analysis and digital ethnography in East Asia.