2013年3月11日,環保團體要求台灣屏東海生館應儘快野放二號鯨鯊,因鯨鯊體型過大,已不適合繼續在水缸裡。7月11日,海生館野放二號鯨鯊失敗,引起社會大眾關注與批評。不僅主流媒體報導,數位網路空間的議題討論也蓬勃發展,有人替鯨鯊成立了野放粉絲團,也有人分享自己的專業知識。 本研究採取文本分析法探討《聯合報》、《中國時報》、《自由時報》、《蘋果日報》與中央通訊社在九年內對於屏東海生館曾飼養三隻鯨鯊的報導,呈現傳統報紙的報導脈絡;並且以質化分析法和深度訪談法關心數位網路內容產製者們,在二號鯨鯊野放事件的期間,如何運用數位媒介來參與產製、整理資訊以及涉入互動討論,以討論數位公共領域構成的可能性。 研究發現,五大傳統媒體的新聞偏愛人情趣味角度,動物保育的觀點遲至2013年才出現,而且報導缺乏科學觀點和政策法律的探討。而二號鯨鯊事件中,網路上內容產製者們提供不同於主流媒體的觀點、對主流媒體並不完全信任、重視理性辯論、與其他網友的關係不再虛擬,而且,網路的傳播力量也日益增強。因此,本研究認為網際網路確實能形成數位公共領域。
On March 11, 2013, the environmental group asked the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium to release the whale shark due to the size limit of the fish tank. After four month, the releasing of the whale shark led by the National Museum of Marine Biology Aquarium had failed, raising public attention and criticism. Not only did the mainstream media report the incident, there were a number of discussions took place on the Internet. Based on text analysis, the research analyzed news of the three whale sharks raised by National Museum of Marine Biology Aquarium in the past 9 years from the United Daily News, China Times, Liberty Times, Apple Daily News and Central National Agency to see how the whale sharks were presented by mainstream media. Furthermore, the research used qualitative research method and depth interview method to focus on how the digital users created their content, gathered the information, and interacted with others to see if it is possible that a digital public sphere is formed. The results show that the five traditional mainstream media are prone to apply human interest prospective into the stories. And, the animal protection prospective shows only until 2013. Also, the stories are lack of science and law point of views. On the other hand, the results also indicate that digital users provide different point of views than the mainstream media, and they have don’t trust the mainstream media entirely. Moreover, digital users value reasonable debate and some of their relations turn from virtual to real. Finally, the propaganda power of the digital sphere is strengthening gradually. Therefore, the digital public sphere is formed through the discussion of the public.