Twitter: Public right to know? | Bangkok Post: learning

About technology & politics

Broadcasting & telecoms board member Supinya says different opinions are ok & public should know via Twitter. Criticism policies "unethical" say others.

Photo above of media activist and NBTC board member Supinya Klangnarong (See her Twitter: @Supinya)

Click button to listen to Twitter Controversy download

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

NBTC angry over tweeted information

24/08/2012
Komsan Tortermvasana

Some members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) board are upset with panel member Supinya Klangnarong for leaking inside information to social media.

Ms Supinya on Wednesday again tweeted against the board's decision for an approval of the final revised draft of the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum licensing terms, concern over possible collusion among the three major mobile operators and a too-low reserve price for a third-generation licence.

"We plan to raise this issue to the board for consideration soon," said one commissioner.

At Wednesday's board meeting, eight of the 11 members voted to approve the revised draft of the 2.1-GHz licensing terms and set the auction dates for Oct 15-20.

Two commissioners, Ms Supinya and Prawit Leesatapornwongsa, voted against the revised draft.

Col Natee Sukolrat abstained from voting.

Commissioner Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn said it is unethical for a member of a national regulator to criticise any board resolution and leak inside information to the public.

"We need to ask her to explain her motive," he said, adding that several members have condemned Ms Supinya for acting inappropriately.

The National Telecommunications Commission, the precursor to the NBTC, set ethical conduct as a core discipline.

"Regulatory body members must take joint responsibility for all decisions made and not just try to project a good individual image," said Mr Suthiphon.

"Ms Supinya yesterday insisted on her right to tweet, saying social media is a private space for expressing different opinions. "If other members disagree with my messages, they can share their comments in the space instead of dictating that everyone agree with all issues," she said.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Telecommunications, NBTC angry over tweeted information, 24/08/2012, Komsan Tortermvasana, link) 


Twitter & Social Media Vocabulary
 
National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) - the independent government agency that makes high level decisions that affect broadcasting and telecommunications (See Website)

Supinya Klangnarong - a Thai media rights advocate, selected to serve in September 2011 as a media expert to Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) which oversees all public and private media outlets, first became well-known after successfully fighting a defamation suit by Thaksin's Shin Corporation over an article she wrote criticizing the then Prime Minister (See Wikipedia)

activism - activities to bring about political and social change (See Wikipedia)
activist - a person who works to bring about political and social change

media - radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group สื่อ
media activism  - activism that tries to change policies relating to media and communication (media policy activism) (See Wikipedia)

telecommunications - dealing with communication, mobile phones, TV broadcasting, internet, radio, anything that sends signals over radio waves การโทรคมนาคม หมายถึง การสื่อสารทางไกลโดยใช้โทรศัพท์ เคเบิล โทรทัศน์ วิทยุและโทรเลข  - (See Wikipedia)

broadcasting - sending shows and news to people via traditional TV and radio (See Wikipedia)

telecommunications convergence - the gradual coming together over time of separate technologies such as TV, mobile telephone, radio so that they are accessed via the internet (See Wikipedia)

Twitter - an online social networking service and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets".(See Wikipedia)

tweet (noun) - the 140 character messages shared between members of Twitter
tweet against (verb)
tweeted against the board's decision  
tweeted information

NBTC angry over tweeted information

board - the group of people that makes the high level decisions about policy in some area
upset - unhappy, disappointed, angry about something that happened ทำให้หงุดหงิด

panel - a group of people brought together to discuss, investigate, and give advice on a subject
panel members

leak - let the public know important information that is private (confidential)
leaking inside information

social media - websites like Twitter and Facebook that allow people to communicate with friends and meet new people (See Wikipedia)

Some members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) board are upset with panel member Supinya Klangnarong for leaking inside information to social media.

approval - official permission การอนุมัต
tweeted against the board's decision for an approval

revised - rewritten, changed เปลี่ยนแปลง
draft - not in a final form and likely to be changed ร่าง ฉบับร่าง

revised draft - a draft rewritten and changed
final revised draft - the final draft (that has been changed)

licensing - getting official permission from the government to do a certain activity
terms - details and conditions in an agreement, contract, or arrangement ข้อกำหนด
licensing terms

spectrum - a range of radio waves used for radio communications ความถี่คลื่นวิทยุที่ใช้ในการสื่อสาร
spectrum licensing terms - the conditions and requirements in the licensing contract

final revised draft of the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum licensing terms

concern - a worry ความกังวล
collusion - secretly working together to do something dishonest, for some illegal or bad purpose การสมรู้ร่วมคิด

operators - businesses doing some kind of business
mobile operators - companies offering mobile phone service

concern over possible collusion among the three major mobile operators

reserve price - the lowest price that a seller will accept for something that is sold at auction

generation - a group of people in society who are born and live around the same time รุ่น (คนรุ่นต่างๆ)
licence - official permission from government to do a business or some activity, the official document that gives permission ใบอนุญาต

a too-low reserve price for a third-generation licence.

Ms Supinya on Wednesday again tweeted against the board's decision for an approval of the final revised draft of the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum licensing terms, concern over possible collusion among the three major mobile operators and a too-low reserve price for a third-generation licence.

issue - a problem that needs to be considered; a subject that people discuss or argue about ประเด็น
raise issue - present an issue to a group for discussion and debate

consideration - giving careful thought to something before making a decision; to go over details before deciding to do a project
raise for consideration

raise this issue to the board for consideration  
commissioner - a member of a commission

"We plan to raise this issue to the board for consideration soon," said one commissioner.

meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
board meeting

approve the revised draft

auction - selling things by competitive bids, selling to the person who offers that best price (See Wikipedia) การขายโดยการประมูล, การขายทอดตลาด
set auction dates

abstain - not participate in, not join in some activity
abstained from voting - not vote

At Wednesday's board meeting, eight of the 11 members voted to approve the revised draft of the 2.1-GHz licensing terms and set the auction dates for Oct 15-20. Two commissioners, Ms Supinya and Prawit Leesatapornwongsa, voted against the revised draft. Col Natee Sukolrat abstained from voting.

unethical - not ethical; actions not acceptable by society ไร้จรรยาบรรณ
ethical - actions acceptable, following the rules; morally acceptable, right action

conduct - to do something in an organised way; to carry out
ethical conduct

regulator - an official who makes certain that the companies who operate a system work effectively and fairly ผู้มีอำนาจควบคุม
national regulator

resolution - a formal decision taken at a meeting after a vote มติ
board resolution

criticise - find fault with, find there to be problems with
criticise board resolution

leak - (of a liquid or gas) flow out of a hole or crack รั่ว
leak inside information to the public

Commissioner Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn said it is unethical for a member of a national regulator to criticise any board resolution and leak inside information to the public.

motive - a reason for doing something แรงจูงใจ เหตุผล
explain her motive

condemned - criticised severely ประณาม
condemned for acting inappropriately

"We need to ask her to explain her motive," he said, adding that several members have condemned Ms Supinya for acting inappropriately.

precursor - the one who came before (in the same position or job)

core - the central part, the heart; the most important or most basic part of something ส่วนสำคัญ  แก่น สิ่งที่สำคัญที่สุด
discipline - following rules and standards of behaviour, forcing others to follow these rules ปฏิบัติตามระเบียบข้อบังคับ
core discipline - one of the most important rules that members of the group must follow

The National Telecommunications Commission, the precursor to the NBTC, set ethical conduct as a core discipline.

joint - done together; belonging to or shared between two or more people ที่ร่วมกัน, ความร่วมมือกัน
responsibility - 1. being blamed for something that goes wrong, 2. having to take care of some task as part of your job
take joint responsibility for all decisions made

individual - relating to or involving a single, separate person or thing แต่ละบุคคล a person (considered separately from their society or community) บุคคล
image - an opinion that people have about someone or something ภาพลักษณ์ the picture of something that people have in their mind, what people think about something

project an image - appear to other people in some way
project a good individual image - do things to look good to others

"Regulatory body members must take joint responsibility for all decisions made and not just try to project a good individual image," said Mr Suthiphon.

right สิทธิ
right to tweet

insisted - say firmly that something must happen or is true, and will not change mind
insisted on her right to tweet

private -  ที่เป็นส่วนตัว
space - ที่ว่าง, พื้นที่ว่าง
private space

opinion - ความเห็น, ความคิดเห็น
express opinion - tell people what you think about something
express different opinion

social media is a private space for expressing different opinions

share - to have or use something at the same time as someone else ใช้ร่วมกัน
share their comments in the space

dictate - say what something should be, make the rules for others 
issues - an important subect that people are discussing and debating about ประเด็น
dictating that everyone agree with all issues

"Ms Supinya yesterday insisted on her right to tweet, saying social media is a private space for expressing different opinions. "If other members disagree with my messages, they can share their comments in the space instead of dictating that everyone agree with all issues," she said.

Tell us what you think about this article

Like dislike 0 people liked / 1 people disliked it

Share this article

0

0

• More +

• Republishing permission
• Print this

Bangkok Post online classifieds

Try buying & selling goods and properties 24/7 in our classifieds which has high purchasing power local & expatriate audience from within Thailand and around the world.