Would You Work For A Thai Newspaper?

[dee123]

Would you?

[dee123]

Would you?

NO!

[bkkjames]

I think you will find the world over that the media tends to takes sides - conservative or liberal. Nothing new and it isn't going to change.

That's why sports is good. It's hard to change the fact that a team won 2-1 in extra time.

[SaamBaht]

All news organizations are biased. They all have their own editorial view. We can all tell the difference between Fox News and the BBC. What's important is if a news org is willing to lie to prop up its point of view. If that is the case, then I wouldn't feel comfortable working at it.

As I've expressed in other threads, threads strangely censored, is competency in news writing and reporting are both paramount to editorial perspective. We come from countries that place a high standard on reporting and writing. That is obviously not the case in Thailand. When simple improvements to content are not taken readers, viewers, whatever, conclude that there is little reason to get news at those publications.

[Lite Beer]

The Title of this thread is Would You Work For A Thai Newspaper?, Even If You Knew They Were Biased Or Practised Self Censorship?

It is nothing to do with the abitilty or otherwise of individual Newspapers to communicate in the Queen's English.

Off Topic Posts Deleted.

Anyone having a problem with Moderation Issues are more than welcome to contact support (at) thaivisa.com

[polecat]

Queen's English.

Self censorship? Not sure I understand. Do you mean writing a story in such a way as it does not break a law, or incite the powers that be to close your publication down?

If that's the case, then: Yes, of course.

Biased? Yes. Unless the particular ideology was diametrically opposed to my own.

[pumpuiman]

Censorship is a shameful disgusting thing.

And it seems to spread like wildfire. Just being mildly connected with those sorts of businesses seems to be enough to catch their disease.

I'd be ashamed to work for such an organization. It must feel horrible, purposely being involved in the denial of the right to free speech.

[neverdie]

I would NOT work for any newspaper!

[JoeThePoster]

That's why sports is good. It's hard to change the fact that a team won 2-1 in extra time.

But it's not that hard to say that the losing side were:

a. injured or sick

b. victims of poor refree judgement

c. victims of rough-play

d. unadjusted to the weather

Edited February 3, 2009 by JoeThePoster

[Master Chief]

Would never work for a Thai company doing what so ever.

MC

[Neeranam]

Yes, and have done.

[teacup]

NO

However there is no such thing as non-biased media, there is only ....."more or less biased".

Anyone who reports the news structures their questions and their coverage based on their own personal biases to "some degree". (If not directed by the parent companies politics)

Everyone in the media has an ax to grind.....its not like it was back in the day.....here's the news....report it.....next story....you know what I mean????

Edited February 3, 2009 by teacup

[bkkjames]

That's why sports is good. It's hard to change the fact that a team won 2-1 in extra time.

But it's not that hard to say that the losing side were:

a. injured or sick

b. victims of poor refree judgement

c. victims of rough-play

d. unadjusted to the weather

true, but the results stand - regardless of what the media say.

[teacup]

Well U know in thailand,....politics is a blood sport sometimes too

[polecat]

Censorship is a shameful disgusting thing.

And it seems to spread like wildfire. Just being mildly connected with those sorts of businesses seems to be enough to catch their disease.

I'd be ashamed to work for such an organization. It must feel horrible, purposely being involved in the denial of the right to free speech.

Nice bit of sensationalism there

Before everyone gets their knickers in a twist, it's worth bearing in mind that every time you view Thaivisa you support The Nation. Is that such a bad thing? Not really.

You can get all worked up and shout about the evils of censorship, if you like, but if you've worked with the media in somewhere like Burma or Vietnam, then it's all a bit tame here in Thailand.

[eggomaniac]

There are enough willing to do work for a biased news agency that the New York Times, CNN, the BBC and every other ..... that you don't have to.

[Lite Beer]

Post discussing Moderation Issues deleted. Please read Forum Rule 5.

5) Discussion of moderation issues, actions or moderation policies concerning individual cases are not allowed in the forums. Such comments should be directed to a moderator or administrator, and not discussed on the forum.

[Maizefarmer]

Would you?

Name me a Thai newspaper that doesn't - they will all peddle a particular line given a reason - right through from the broadsheets to the tabloids.

You'll be without a job. Speak to Bernard Trink aka "Nite Owl" - he got the shove for not wanting to bow to so-called editorial "political corectness".

[dee123]

Censorship is a shameful disgusting thing.

And it seems to spread like wildfire. Just being mildly connected with those sorts of businesses seems to be enough to catch their disease.

I'd be ashamed to work for such an organization. It must feel horrible, purposely being involved in the denial of the right to free speech.

Nice bit of sensationalism there

Before everyone gets their knickers in a twist, it's worth bearing in mind that every time you view Thaivisa you support The Nation. Is that such a bad thing? Not really.

You can get all worked up and shout about the evils of censorship, if you like, but if you've worked with the media in somewhere like Burma or Vietnam, then it's all a bit tame here in Thailand.

I can't agree with you there polecat re;"everytime you view Thaivisa you support The Nation" being that I use Thaivisa to kick away at newspapers like the Nation who's journalists self censor.Therefore if I can persuade others to access their news reports from different sources,you could hardly call that supporting.

[dee123]

NO

However there is no such thing as non-biased media, there is only ....."more or less biased".

Anyone who reports the news structures their questions and their coverage based on their own personal biases to "some degree". (If not directed by the parent companies politics)

Everyone in the media has an ax to grind.....its not like it was back in the day.....here's the news....report it.....next story....you know what I mean????

I can agree with that Teacup, BBC ALJAHZEERA,BANGKOK POST,NATION BRITISH TABLOIDS,REUTERS,all have very different view points.I would find it very hard for instance to work for a British tabloid too.But the Thai media has some very distinguishing censorship problems.Which I could not endorse or be seen to have sympathy with.

[dee123]

Yes, and have done.

...Freddie Star Ate My Parrott

[geriatrickid]

Depends on the beat you draw. The entertainment section folks that churn out reviews are like porn film fluffers. Sports reporters can be more biased than newsies because of their rah rah mentality and need to second guess the coach, but no one really cares do they? Take a look at alot of newspapers today. They're bleeding money. They've cut back on journalists and turned to the canned news feeds from Reuters. All those guys do is copy, paste and maybe edit a few words. If you are just repackaging news feeds from Reuters, it doesn't matter if you work for the Times or The Nation does it?

There are good journalists at every rag. It's just a question of working within the "oppressive" parameters. Editorial writers suffer from censorship most and probably have alot of stress walking that little line. The crime beat reporters can always twist a story to get around the censorship in Thailand, because nothing is more popular than violent crime. The more blood, the longer the leash.

The people that get away with whatever they want? The editorial cartoonists. One can pillory someone in drawing that one wouldn't dare do with words. All it takes is a bit of finesse. That's probably why the cartoonists are the ones with the sharpest minds.

Is News of The World planning on opening a local paper in Pattaya? Lots of murder, mayhem, hookers, death by misfortune and a good crowd to buy the paper. You could be a local celebrity with a gig like that.

[Gerontion]

Working for pretty much any newspaper, Thai or otherwise, entails sucking corporate cock. If that floats your boat, step forward; personally, it's never appealed to me.

[noahvail]

NO

However there is no such thing as non-biased media, there is only ....."more or less biased".

Anyone who reports the news structures their questions and their coverage based on their own personal biases to "some degree". (If not directed by the parent companies politics)

Everyone in the media has an ax to grind.....its not like it was back in the day.....here's the news....report it.....next story....you know what I mean????

I can agree with that Teacup, BBC ALJAHZEERA,BANGKOK POST,NATION BRITISH TABLOIDS,REUTERS,all have very different view points.I would find it very hard for instance to work for a British tabloid too.But the Thai media has some very distinguishing censorship problems.Which I could not endorse or be seen to have sympathy with.

I'll join the agree camp on this one. Kinda reminds me of the story going around a few years ago, when the Pope made a trip to the US and Dubya took him out on the Potomac on the Presidential yacht. The Pope's mitre blew off, and the captain immediately gave the order to come about. Dubya waved him off, climbed down the ladder, walked across the water, picked up the mitre, and calmly walked back to the boat, shook the water out of the mitre, and handed it back to the Pope. The next day, the New York Times (All The News That's Print to Fit) ran the headline, 'Bush Walks on Water.' The Chicago Tribune's headline read, 'Bush Walks on Water, Earns Pope's Praise.' And the Washington Post's headline read, 'Bush Can't Swim.' So it's all a matter of editorial perspective.

And yeah, I thought about self-censoring my own little contribution but gave in to the desire to let folks have at it.

[polecat]

Would you?

Name me a Thai newspaper that doesn't - they will all peddle a particular line given a reason - right through from the broadsheets to the tabloids.

You'll be without a job. Speak to Bernard Trink aka "Nite Owl" - he got the shove for not wanting to bow to so-called editorial "political corectness".

YAWN. Is this the same Bernard Trink who has appeared in Bangkok Post's Real Time section every single Friday for the last 10 years?

Why in the name of 7-Eleven do people persist in holding this guy up as a martyr who was gagged and sacked?

HE STILL WORKS AT THE BANGKOK POST AND IS PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY!!!

You can read his book reviews there, which include all his entertaining thoughts on Thai women, expats, Cuban missile crisis and all his usual stuff -- although I'm not sure how many of his thoughts on HIV not leading to AIDS make it through.

His Nite Owl column ran for nearly 40 years - probably one of the longest running columns in Thai newspaper history. When the people who run and own the paper decided that they didn't want to have the column any more, it was cut. I think 40 years is long enough, don't you? What would have been fairer? 50 years? 60?

[Gerontion]

^ Also bear in mind that his writing (for want of a better word) is <deleted>. If he really has been published for 40 years, that shows an almost saintly level of indulgence - or possibly criminal incompetence - by his editors.

Edited February 6, 2009 by Gerontion

[dee123]

...I just wonder how an average day goes in one of these newspaper offices?..............8.30am arrive in office and make coffee 9.00am editors briefing (" Fellow journalists ,today we have 2 investigations of national importance.Yes youv'e guessed it; over charging for emptying Bankokians sespits and fake gold being sold by a downtown vendors"")....."OOOAAWWW NOT AGAIN,"....CAN'T WE DO SOMETHING CONNECTED WITH POLITICS"!! the journalists shout,....ect ect

Edited February 6, 2009 by dee123

[dee123]

love him or hate him The Night Owl is a legend! he was entertaining and easily understood and very often reflected the thoughts of his readers,.....can't be bad can it?

Edited February 6, 2009 by dee123

[polecat]

love him or hate him The Night Owl is a legend! he was entertaining and easily understood and very often reflected the thoughts of his readers,.....can't be bad can it?

How many readers? Obviously not enough to keep his own website going.

But yes, I agree. An old man who doesn't drink, doesn't speak a lick of Thai and can't even type is exactly the kind of journalist I would want to provide an insight into the fascinating nightlife of Bangkok.

I also agree that it was easy to understand Trink's column / despite the man's resemblance to Gollum (Burma Shave)

[samuibeachcomber]

i'd work for anyone who would guarantee to pay me at the end of the day.have already sold my soul to the devil so what the heck!