Media executive to be probed over sexual harassment report

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Media executive to be probed over sexual harassment report

By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- A fact-finding committee will be set up to investigate allegations of sexual harassment involving an executive at a media organisation, the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) said in a statement issued on Sunday.

Reports spread among journalists and over social media over the past few days that an executive with a media organisation allegedly sexually harassed one of his employees and she had to quit her job. 

 

TJA secretary-general Mongkol Bangprapa said in the statement that the TJA was concerned about the reports and had agreed to set up a committee to gather evidence from the accused and the victim before submitting the information to the TJA for further action.

 

The reports prompted criticism in society that affected the image and credibility of the professional media, Mongkol said in the statement. 

 

The TJA is in the process of appointing members of the committee, which will consist of external specialists, media executives and journalists who do not have an interest in the conflict in order to provide a fair process for the people concerned, the statement said. 

 

Since hearsay could escalate the issue, and in order to be fair to the accused and the victim, the TJA asked the media to be cautious when circulating information that may be deemed to cause damage to the people concerned until the facts are determined by the committee, Mongkol said. 

 

The TJA statement came less than an hour after a group of journalist signed an open letter asking professional media organisations to set up an independent committee to probe the allegation with fairness for both the accused and the victim.

 

If the sexual harassment allegation was true, it would be a disgrace for the media, which had a duty to be a watchdog and investigate wrongdoing, the letter said.

 

It would also reflect an abnormality in the media an d damage the human dignity of the victim, the letter said. 

 

As of 3pm on Sunday, 19 journalists had signed the petition.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30326316

 

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