From unearthing a stockpile of luxury watches belonging to a deputy prime minister, pursuing the details of murder cases to their grisly end, and becoming an alternative petition centre for those unfairly treated by the system, the various Facebook pages of semi-professional investigative journalists have asserted their influence in society and proved the power of technology -- and anonymity -- in an age where media freedom has hit a snag.
Sometimes dubbed "dark-side" pages -- referring to their tone, namelessness and sometimes vigilante intent -- these "new media" outlets expose powerful people, put pressure on officials and offer channels where citizens can let off steam. They also sensationalise issues to amp up their page views, and their anonymous, Batman-like vigilantism can be a double-edged sword. But it's undeniable that their activities have shaken up society and rattled the traditional practices of journalists -- even exposed their shortcomings and failure to do their duty in this draconian climate.
Among several prominent choices, the Bangkok Post has chosen these social media pages as the paper's Person of the Year 2017.
This year's choices also include the charity run hero Artiwara Kongmalai, aka Toon Bodyslam; anti-coup student activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, known as Pai Dao Din, who has already been jailed for over a year; Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who has driven the country's economic engines to move again; volunteers for the royal cremation ceremony, who helped mourners from their hearts; and Wisaksil Wangek, better known as Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, a two-time WBC super flyweight champion who is ranked as the world's best active super flyweight.
The relentlessness and unconventional approach of the dark-side pages are exemplified by the continued digging into the skeleton-filled closet of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon by a page called CSI LA. Based in the US and followed by over 700,000 people online, the page broke the story of Gen Prawit's luxury watch early this month. It has since doggedly pursued the deputy PM's stash of expensive timepieces, which were not declared to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and has revealed the existence of at least 11 pricey watches, many of them worth over one million baht.
The CSI LA site has been relentless in tracking public records in search of the watch collection of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon. The latest find, posted on Wednesday is the 11th.
It seems CSI LA found out about those gem-studded timepieces by obsessively examining news photographs of Gen Prawit at various government functions and social appearances. At once simple and clever, the method involves zooming in on the wrist, enlarging the image of the watch, finding out its model and price, then comparing it to the list of declared assets to determine if the item had been recorded as required by law.
- Prawit saga continues: Another price watch spotted
Over the past month, many mainstream newspapers and web pages, including the Bangkok Post, have followed up on Gen Prawit's watches story based on the findings of CSI LA (whose profile picture is that of Walter White, the anti-hero of the series Breaking Bad). Still far from reaching any conclusion, the watch expose is one of the biggest news stories of 2017 -- and one that directly jabs at the credibility of this usually untouchable member of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
Other prominent dark-side pages, such as E Jan and Maam Po Dam, thrive on sensational topics that capture the masses' imagination, as well as function as a clearing house for what small, voiceless people perceive as undue justice. Through both strategies, they often manage to set the tone of mainstream reporting and sometimes create an environment where the authorities feel that they can't drag their feet. Arguably, the kind of pressure generated by these pages' relentlessness, fuelled by social media attention (sometimes frenzy or melodrama), has become a new factor that redefines the relationship between the media, the people and the power.
Arguably, too, this happens at a time when society confronts a vacuum left by unreliable official institutions -- from the police to courts and government -- and by the fact that traditional media are not always the weather vane of social temperature.
In June, the investigative page called E-Jan, which has nearly five million followers, shot to internet stardom for following up relentlessly on the gruesome murder case of Varisara Klinjui, whose body was dismembered in Khon Kaen. The Maam Po Dam page, with nearly three million followers, has become a platform where people complain about delayed justice or unfair treatment by the system -- and sometimes these cases are picked up by mainstream media, both television and newspapers.
Drama-addict, whose Facebook page administrator is a medical doctor, also played a crucial role over the past year.
The page broke several cases and educated the public, particularly on health-related issues. Early September, Drama-addict posted a letter sent by a vet who raised suspicions over the behaviour of a medical student who asked his clinic to pay compensation for the death of his dog after the animal was taken to the clinic. The vet suspected the student poisoned the dog to claim transport insurance and compensation.
With more than 1.8 million followers, the issue went viral overnight and then made headlines in the mainstream media. Police stepped into the investigation and the student was suspended from his studies at university.
These pages, in a way, have become a substitute for a weak system of checks and balances, heightened in the time of a military government and bureaucratic domination. Through the availability of technology, the flexibility of moving on the fringe, and fearlessness aided by anonymity, they've realigned the dynamics of the people vs the system, as well as questioned the role of mainstream journalism.
At the same time, their namelessness, which is their strength, means they're non-entities that hold no responsibility over their actions, and their invisibility means they're the watchdogs who refuse to be watched by others.
How they will evolve, or devolve, or morph into other forms, will be a major issue when the country moves forward to an election and a civilian government. Our "Person of the Year" may bring about many changes, but they're still a work in progress themselves.