Situated in the context of multiple cultural forces of news sources in Taiwan, this study examines how readers of China Times, United Daily and Liberty Times perceive and interpret the three major local newspaper precedents in comparison with Apple Daily, the foreign-imported late comer with a different style through in-depth interviews. Additionally, the study explores these readers’ social practices and their implications in the context of Taiwanese media culture at present. The results suggest that while the local precedents with traditional news values remain advantageous, fissures existing in readers’ perceptions toward local newspapers where Apple Daily has operated at the site to its advantages, gaining recognition and prowess over the competition in the marketplace.