Response to the news media and paparazzi

As with other stars, Chou has expressed a strong dislike of the paparazzi. In the early years of his career, unwanted attention by the media was usually dealt with by avoidance. In-line with his quiet nature, he frequently wore baseball caps and hoods while lowering his head and evading eye contact during interviews. In the recent years however, he has been less passive about the invasion of his privacy. To discourage the paparazzi from taking unsolicited pictures, Chou is known to photograph the paparazzi that follow him. He openly calls the paparazzi "dogs" and tabloids "dog magazines", as shown in his lyrics for "Besieged From All Sides" (; pinyin: sìmiànchgē). Chou has been reported to be romantically linked to an array of female celebrities, such as Jolin Tsai, Vivian Hsu, and Hebe Tian from S.H.E. Although each relationship (with the exception of Patty Hou) has been denied by Chou, these reports have given him a "player" image. The media and Taiwanese government has also accused Chou of evading compulsory military service by feigning to suffer from ankylosing spondylitis. Later that year he was acquitted after providing the relevant medical records and letters from the army confirming a lawful exemption from draft dated before the start of his music career.
Despite constant harassment and stalking by the media, he does acknowledge that not all media attention is unwelcome. Coverage by international journals and news agencies such as Time,The Guardian, and Reutershelp ascertain his influence on mainstream culture. An editorial published by the Royal Institute of International Affairs named Chou as one of the 50 most influential figures in China, one of only three singers on a list dominated by politicians and corporate owners.