"The first is the front-line hit man of the powers-that-be, whose use of language is often extreme. Another type is one with bad relations with the powers-that-be. Their editorials also tend to be vicious. The third type doesn't known where to go, today lining up with this side, tomorrow with that."
南方朔把台灣報紙立場區分為三種「德性」：「一種是當權派的第一線打手，言論亢奮；一種是和當政者關係搞壞，寫起評論來又凶又猛；第三種是不知所措，今天投靠這邊，明天投靠那邊」。