While you may already know about Shallow News in Depth — a very popular satirical news recap show on internet-based SpokeDark TV — and its co-hosts John Winyu and Por Mor, there's another person who's been very instrumental to its success. Her name is Janya "Rosie" Wongsurawat, John's older sister and Por Mor's wife, who graduated from Thammasat's Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication. As the show's producer and SpokeDark's co-founder, she's the brains behind its many popular shows. We talked with Rosie about SpokeDark's origins and its new show, her thoughts on the government's efforts to regulate the media and, most importantly, her favourite quote by Uncle Tu.
You can watch SpokeDark shows at www.fb.com/SpokeDarkTV, www.youtube.com/SpokeDarkTV and www.spokedark.tv.
Can we go back to the beginning of Shallow News in Depth? How did it all begin?
John was the one who wanted a political satire show. I was just looking for something fun to do. Traditional TV which I had always somehow been a part of was so boring, fake and completely unreasonable when it came to censorship. John had a strong belief that the internet was the way to go, the future and so on. He was really into politics because he had just had his finances ruined by the Revenue Department. He was only in his early 20s and owed them over a million baht in back taxes. He suddenly became truly aware about tax money and public spending. Our family background also played a big role in the making of this show. Our dad who teaches political science has always been a strong influence in the way we look at politics. He has no romantic notions when it comes to political systems or the way societies work, which I think is the most important thing. He always emphasised that politics is about negotiating power and resources and that, is natural. Having most of the family in academia doesn't hurt when it comes to fact checking and story-telling. They always have to go back to the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, or Confucius.
What exactly are your roles at SpokeDark?
I produce Shallow News In Depth and decide on the topic of each show. Sometimes I write it, sometimes I rewrite or tweak it. I have a really good writer now. I'm so grateful. I also co-produce Momay Pa Plearn, our beauty show, and, of course, our lateast Yum Khum (Good Night Thailand). The live Facebook 8pm show.
How has Shallow News in Depth evolved over the years?
I think we've come full cycle in Thai politics. But this current situation is a bit different from how it was for a long time. It's new territory for everybody. As a show, we have to self-censor more than ever.
Have you guys (John, Por Mor or you) run into politicians you had previously made fun of?
Yes, some. Most of them take things in their stride.
How did your Facebook show Yum Khum (which Rosie also co-hosts) come about?
We needed a new challenge and a live news show seemed to be the way to go. It's a different feel from Shallow News because it's a daily thing. We basically recap news that's relevant to people like friends do to friends. It's more about the pieces we choose and the questions we ask our audiences to respond to through comments and reactions.
What do you think about the plan by NBTC (National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission) to regulate providers of OTT (over the top) content? Do you agree with regulating the media -- mainstream or online -- at all?
I'm not for regulating any media. Even in this environment of manipulation and fake news, we are going to have media literacy, period. I'm all for ratings, of course. That's more of a guide than a regulation. It's really sick that after the Computer Crime Act, the Cybersecurity bill that will come out for sure. There shouldn't be anymore attempts to regulate the internet. We are already half way in jail 24/7 (given what we say or do online can constitute offences under the new laws). The Cybersecurity bill is absolutely evil, in my opinion. As if the Computer Crime Act wasn't bad enough. These laws cannot be enacted equally. They are only here to prosecute political enemies. The laws are unjust. They are damaging to the economy. I'm not gonna even mention human rights and the rule of law, since no one really cares about that. The NBTC isn't sanctioned to regulate the internet. They just decided to give themselves that power and it's ridiculous especially under this illegitimate government.
What is your all time favourite quote by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha?
"I did not seize power from anybody. I replaced them because they couldn't do their job." This is very typical Thai military style of renaming things to suit their self image. It's so childish you kind of wonder when the development got so arrested.
Nobody seems to be answering the big four questions put forth by PM Prayut at the district offices. What do you think we should do to get more people involved?
Have the YouLike page do a poll.
