The National Reform Council's committee on media reform will hold a forum in Ubon Ratchathani province on March 7-8 to take opinions from members of the local media, NRC member Nimit Sitthitrai said on Thursday.
The forum will be held at the auditorium of the Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University and expected to be attended by journalists and academics in the field of mass communication and information technology from five lower northeast provinces - Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Yasothon.
Mr Nimit said it was agreed at an earlier meeting between with news reporters in Ubon Ratchathani that local media should form a body, a so-called "Ubon model", to oversee ethics in the local media and improve their news reporting standards.
Boonlert Kachayuthadej, deputy spokesman of the NRC panel on media reform, said opinions from local media wouldalso be taken into account in the drawing up of a law to ensure better welfare benefits for provincial newsmen.
The media reform panel is chaired by Jumpol Rodkhamdee, an NRC member.