The Media

[pachangamac042]

Dear Voice

if you search the net in Europe you may find the answer yourself. Surfing here in Thailand is a bit more difficult, as many sites witch make reference to your question are blocked.

Following three interesting links about Sondhi, no answer to your question but some other interesting information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sondhi_Limthongkul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muang_Thai_Rai_Sapda

http://www.sameskybooks.org/board/index ... topic=9996

[lalida]

Hi Prommee_Ne,

Thanks for your input but I’m not being harsh on them and its a single time they act as such. If I didn’t remember wrong, during Thaksin Time and the other two elected PM, Samak and Somchia, all we hear is strong criticism and what do we hear now, it’s either a praise or a soft tone of critics just because it is the Government they prefer, is this kind of media we can call it professional? Are they not supposed to be neutral in all aspect? Fine, being Bias at times is understandable as I mentioned but when the country is in a political turmoil, does it need them to further flame up what is already burning? There job is to perform Check and Balance on the Government and make reports not putting fire on the Government or side with the wrong doings of a Government and make inaccurate reports. There job is to be responsible to all readers and not trying to turn the country into further Chaos.

They have been pouring oil to the already burning fire ever since the PAD started to walk down the streets and they are part of the reason that this country is in such a mess at this moment and if we as a citizen don’t voice their wrong doings and perform check and balance on them, this country will forever be dominated by one side.

Kngday,

Thanks for coming by and further verify the truth....

Voice,

I think it’s best that we leave out Royals out of our discussion, it wouldn’t do any good to anyone.

[Yellow_Shirt]

Hello lalida

This is a inderpendent news paper acticle not from Thailand and this is what they thought of the media Thailand



Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra complains bitterly that he often gets 'bitten' by the press

The Straits Times

Friday, February 27, 2004

By Lee Kim Chew

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra complains bitterly that he often gets 'bitten' by the press.

It's true his detractors at home are unsparing in their criticism of his governing style and populist policies.

But then Mr Thaksin rarely takes things ///// down. Indeed, he bites back, and often just as hard.

This month, two offending newspaper editors bit the dust after they ran stories that were critical of him.

A billionaire businessman before he entered politics, Mr Thaksin likes things done his way. He uses the carrot and the stick, or else he buys what he wants to control.

Just before the 2001 general election, Shin Corp, a telecommunications conglomerate his family owns, bought a controlling interest in Thailand's only independent television station, iTV.

Then the new management fired 23 iTV journalists who had complained the station was slanting its election coverage in favour of Mr Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party.

In the controversy, the Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association cited 14 incidents of editorial meddling in their radio and TV programmes.

One of the sacked journalists, Mr Thepchai Yong, writes: 'From an independent station famous for aggressive and in-depth reporting, iTV was turned overnight into an entertainment channel whose flimsy news coverage is unashamedly pro-Thaksin.'

The Thai Journalists Association said it deplored the 'sophisticated and subtle means' used to co-opt the media, because those outlets which reported favourably on the Thaksin government were given more advertising business from state enterprises.

To minimise government interference, the Thai media had resorted to self-censorship, said Mr Kavi Chongkittavorn, assistant group editor of The Nation newspaper.

'If this trend continues, the Thai media's role as watchdogs will disappear. The media will become just a cog of the government's huge spin machine, taking part in what Thaksin calls the 'nation-building process'.'

But Mr Thaksin, who controls an overwhelming majority in Parliament and vast financial resources, is unmoved by proponents of a free press. Columnist Tulsathit Taptim laments that Thai newspapers now choose not to publish stories that embarrass the prime minister.

'Since Thaksin came to power, influential media figures have been taken to the edge of the ethical line, and many have fallen over,' he says. Along with the sharp fall in advertising revenue for newspapers, another trend is discernable - politicians and other interest groups are buying up controlling stakes in the print media.

There was a lot of speculation when relatives of Thai Rak Thai secretary-general and Cabinet minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit bought shares which made them the third-largest shareholders of The Nation group.

Mr Kavi writes: 'The new owners entering the Thai media world brought with them new editorial policies and a different, 'softer' approach to news coverage.'

All attempts to set up a commission to facilitate the transfer of ownership for broadcast frequencies to the private sector have stalled.

The Thaksin government now has virtually total control over public broadcasting. Which is why crusading journalists like Mr Kavi are fighting to preserve whatever space they still have in the print media.

They face an uphill battle.

[Non Aligned Bangkok]

whilst I agree with the assessment, it's 5 years old and no longer relevant.

[lalida]

Thanks for the Post YS,

I did read it but can you also tell me that the Military intrim Governemnt didn't censored the press, can you also tell me that the present nominated governemnt not also censoring the freedom of speech in the net? Did the present nominated government not pull the plug of "Truth Today" in NBT and push forward their own propagandas? Will you not agree most media in this country leans on their own political preference and condemns the other? Why is it no one is saying a word about it and just focus on Thaksin?

[pachangamac042]

Lalida, in order to have an independent press, you would need to have real freedom of press, and that is one thing witch is not granted here. An other thing would be freedom of speech, again, something witch does not exist 100%.

You speak about an independent and neutral press. Well, I think that this is difficult to find in any country. Many newspaper tend to be either leftist or rightist.

Unfortunately in Thailand, are both English speaking newspapers more to the right or even extreme right then to the centre.

I wonder how the Thai papers are.

[lalida]

Lalida, in order to have an independent press, you would need to have real freedom of press, and that is one thing witch is not granted here. An other thing would be freedom of speech, again, something witch does not exist 100%.

You speak about an independent and neutral press. Well, I think that this is difficult to find in any country. Many newspaper tend to be either leftist or rightist.

Unfortunately in Thailand, are both English speaking newspapers more to the right or even extreme right then to the centre.

I wonder how the Thai papers are.

Pach,

Believe me, you don't want to know and if there's a forum about it. you will see comments rocket high and if you think this forum is agressive in certain ways, you wouldn't believe what's written in Thai forums....I promise you, you wouldn't dare register to join in.

[xiling]

I am not sure if this link is of any value.

http://thailandjumpedtheshark.blogspot. ... ifdom.html

[pachangamac042]

Well Lalida, no worries about me signing into a Thai forum. I would probably just get to the sign in site and wonder what this strange signs are on my screen.

But wonder I do. My Missus seems to post somewhere in Thai when we are in Spain, but no idea what. Maybe about babies making and other ladies stuff? Mai roo.

[Voice]

The reason I put this question to you Lalida because there are a lot of rumour and hearsay it not the subject of question itself but it’s a matter of how the news came about or where it came from that why I ask you whether or not it fact or fiction. If we allow ourselves to live by rumour or hearsay, as it will pass from one person to another, which might not have anything to do with the truth or base of truth then the damage would have been really bad for those concern. The media is always relying on the rumour as base to further digging. Some time it may have some little truth in it but if you take it out of context and allow ourselves imagination to run away with us then what would happen. This is one of the pproblem in our culture as most live there life base on rumour and hearsay.