The News Media We Deserve

[WinnieTheKhwai]

In the past I have heard people comment on not having a quality English language newspaper for Chiang Mai. I think I disagree, because we have the excellent Chiang Mai Citylife. Granted this is not a daily 'hard news' type of news source, but it more than makes up for it by the solid background articles and unrivaled (within Thailand) integrity and moral standing.

I'd like to think that a quality magazine can thrive because of the quality of it's readership. This really hit home after I visited the local Pattaya forum yesterday, and the Pattaya One sub-forum therein. I think you can take one look at it and see how Pattaya (and the expat life there) differs from Chiang Mai. Before anyone starts yelling, I'm the last to ever try to claim any kind of high moral ground, but even I was shocked to see the level of cold cynicism on display in Pattaya based news media. I would like to highlight an example I came across in this month's issue, where a highly unfortunate case of child sexual abuse gets reported on with a level of cynicism and attempted humor as if it was another case of a helmet crackdown. Judge for yourself.

Someone shoot me if I ever get this cynical about the darker sides to life in Thailand.

I would like to think that Chiang Mai based media would have handled a case like this with more respect, or at least the absence of inappropriate humor. And that we wouldn't be shy to ask the more difficult questions, such as why nobody on beach road noticed this, and why this can even occur relatively in the open. And I'd like to think that it would have caused more of an outrage.

Link for reference: http://www.thaivisa....ya-one-issue-7/

Edited January 13, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Jingthing]

Pattaya bashing knows no limits, does it? Yes everything about Chiang Mai is superior to everything in Pattaya, even the smoky air which is clearly good for promoting morals. Satisfied now?

Next ...

[gotlost]

I have to agree with you WTK. At last count I showed that Pattaya has 7 3rd rate rags (tabloid reporting). Chiang Mai has 1 excellent Magazine and half of a so called by monthly news paper. I'm posting this from Soi 7.

Edited January 13, 2011 by gotlost

[rickthailand]

Pattaya bashing knows no limits, does it? Yes everything about Chiang Mai is superior to everything in Pattaya, even the smoky air which is clearly good for promoting morals. Satisfied now?

Next ...

chiang mai is a lot better than Pattaya for sure

rick

[Jingthing]

Pattaya bashing knows no limits, does it? Yes everything about Chiang Mai is superior to everything in Pattaya, even the smoky air which is clearly good for promoting morals. Satisfied now?

Next ...

chiang mai is a lot better than Pattaya for sure

rick

If you don't care about breathing, that is.

[jayjay0]

I have to agree with you WTK. At last count I showed that Pattaya has 7 3rd rate rags (tabloid reporting). Chiang Mai has 1 excellent Magazine and half of a so called by monthly news paper. I'm posting this from Soi 7.

City Life is free and has no reference to today's News.

The Chiang Mai mail has news articles in it all be some are old by the time they get to press.

We in Chiang Mai do not deserve a quality news paper. For one we would have to pay cash. And are we really concerned with what is going on in the city if it cost money to buy.

Ask yourself if you had to buy City Life how long would they stay in business.

You might continue to buy it but would enough people still buy it. I doubt it. The circulation would go down and the advertisers would be less likely to use it.

By the way it is high quality for what it does. But (cheap charlie) wants it free.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

JT: Sorry, it's not about Pattaya bashing. Outrages can and do occur everywhere. It wasn't even so much the event that shocked me, but the cynical attitude portrayed. I love Pattaya and I love Chiang Mai, while acknowledging that both places have serious problems that need serious solutions, not a cynical 'hey it's not our country, who cares, ha ha ha' attitude. I see that in Pattaya news media, but thankfully not overhere. Overhere, more people care, or at least that's my impression.

I'm sorry if you felt it was a Pattaya bash, while not appreciating the attempt at derailing it from the topic. Of course Chiang Mai isn't perfect, far from it. I hope that puts your mind at ease.

Edited January 13, 2011 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Ulysses G.]

Yes everything about Chiang Mai is superior to everything in Pattaya ...

Not the nightlife and we don't have Goose's fish and chips.

[gotlost]

Look on the bright side JT, Pattaya has 7 so called news papers, Chiang Mai ZERRO.

[jayjay0]

<br>

<br>

<br>Pattaya bashing knows no limits, does it? Yes everything about Chiang Mai is superior to everything in Pattaya, even the smoky air which is clearly good for promoting morals. Satisfied now? <br><br>Next ...<br>

<br><br><br>chiang mai is a lot better than Pattaya for sure<br><br>rick<br>

If you don't care about breathing, that is.<br>

Good point.

I wasn't aware that people went there to breathe better.

That being said I can not comment on the quality of there news media. We are not interested in news here in Chiang Mai. unless it is free.

That being said I had heard that as news papers go one of yours was a decent paper. Have to read the whole paper not just the headlines. "

Edited January 13, 2011 by jayjay0

[mamborobert]

There are just as many bad newspapers (and i am not suggesting all Pattya newspapers are bad) in the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia. Tabloid journalism, bad taste, and mans inhumanity to man are not the sole confines of Thailand.

Having said that I do read the Pattaya Daily News and quite a few times it has been the first (and sometimes only) English newspaper to report events in Chiang Mai. There are more than enough posts on TV querying why the local media does not report scams for example. There are other far more insidious acts occurring in Chiang Mai that fail to geta good run (if any here)...that the Pattya Daily News does cover. In some respects they go above and beyond Pattaya and do a service to Chiang Mai that is not performed locally for whatever reason.

There are many many good news Chiang Mai stories in the Pattaya Daily News that also get a run on local press...but the bad like the OP mentions never seem to get any (or enough) coverage locally.

It is not hard to find underage girls and boys about the city walls any night. Where is the coverage on this, let alone the police prosecution or state protection....It appears that the plight of young Burmese and non ID Thais in Chiang Mai is little deserving of reporting.

A few "bad" related samples from last year...that did not get a an adequate run here (ergo less or no respect) and were handled competently by Pattaya media.

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/06/30/australian-pedophile-arrested-for-rape-of-a-minor-in-chiangmai/

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/04/03/child-sex-ring-run-by-monk-busted-in-chiang-mai/

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/03/31/brit-arrested-in-chiang-mai-for-child-sex-offenses/

Not all bad things happen in Pattaya. Not all media in Pattaya are bad. Some media may be cynical for sure but a lot here in Chiang Mai iit is often non responsive.

Like the OP mentioned it would be good id these events were covered adequately ..but it apears that Chiang Mai media is a perhaps a bit more shy than the OP believes.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

It is not hard to find underage girls and boys about the city walls any night. Where is the coverage on this, let alone the police prosecution or state protection....It appears that the plight of young Burmese and non ID Thais in Chiang Mai is little deserving of reporting.

Like the OP mentioned it would be good id these events were covered adequately ..but it apears that Chiang Mai media is a perhaps a bit more shy than the OP believes.

Those are good points. Reporting it as if it's the funniest joke ever may indeed still be preferable to not reporting it at all. I didn't know about any underage kids about in Chiang Mai though, other than flower sellers? (Regardless I would agree that that's one of the problems that never get addressed, and rarely reported on.) Thank you for highlighting it, good reply.

[Ricardo]

I wasn't aware that people went there to breathe better.

I suspect people prefer Pattaya, for 'heavy breathing' at least, over Chiang Mai ?

[gotlost]

I'll be back in CM tomorrow just in time for the free ganja fumes high for the annual smoke.

[Jingthing]

I wasn't aware that people went there to breathe better.

I suspect people prefer Pattaya, for 'heavy breathing' at least, over Chiang Mai ?

What a shallow stereotype about people from both places. Typical.

[jayjay0]

I wasn't aware that people went there to breathe better.

I suspect people prefer Pattaya, for 'heavy breathing' at least, over Chiang Mai ?

What a shallow stereotype about people from both places. Typical.

Maybe you should read the whole post. And let us remember you were the one who first mentioned the breathing .

If it upset you maybe you should have kept your cheap shot to yourself.:jap:

Edited January 13, 2011 by jayjay0

[Jingthing]

Not upset, but frankly, I feel expats in Thailand use Pattaya bashing the same way racists use denigration of other races. We are better people because we don't live in Pattaya, our city may not be perfect, but it's not as bad as Pattaya. Some of you may be great people, but it has nothing to do with not living in Pattaya. It's really too easy and completely unoriginal as well, kind of like gay jokes about San Francisco. Not to mention wrong. There are indeed great advantages to living in Pattaya and many people living in Pattaya have nothing to do with your negative stereotypes.

Edited January 13, 2011 by Jingthing

[jayjay0]

Not upset, but frankly, I feel expats in Thailand use Pattaya bashing the same way racists use denigration of other races. We are better people because we don't live in Pattaya, our city may not be perfect, but it's not as bad as Pattaya. Some of you may be great people, but it has nothing to do with not living in Pattaya. It's really too easy and completely unoriginal as well, kind of like gay jokes about San Francisco. Not to mention wrong. There are indeed great advantages to living in Pattaya and many people living in Pattaya have nothing to do with your negative stereotypes.

I see you are still hanging on to stereotype because you didn't like a response to a cheap shot you made.

As usual you only read and respond to the part you want to.

Please read posts before you reply.

I also gave a positive response to the negativity of the Pattaya media.

No place did I mention any thing else How you can turn my post into a Pattaya bash is beyond me.

[gotlost]

I have to agree with you WTK. At last count I showed that Pattaya has 7 3rd rate rags (tabloid reporting). Chiang Mai has 1 excellent Magazine and half of a so called by monthly news paper. I'm posting this from Soi 7.

City Life is free and has no reference to today's News.

The Chiang Mai mail has news articles in it all be some are old by the time they get to press.

We in Chiang Mai do not deserve a quality news paper. For one we would have to pay cash. And are we really concerned with what is going on in the city if it cost money to buy.

Ask yourself if you had to buy City Life how long would they stay in business.

You might continue to buy it but would enough people still buy it. I doubt it. The circulation would go down and the advertisers would be less likely to use it.

By the way it is high quality for what it does. But (cheap charlie) wants it free.

That about sums up Chiang Mai's attitude for the printed word.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

> That about sums up Chiang Mai's attitude for the printed word

Right.. though that's probably true everywhere, with printed (paper) media becoming an increasingly hard sell due to the amount of free content on the Internet.

There are two separate things though:

1. Selling newspapers or magazines (or perhaps better: running a successful media company which includes other income sources)

2. Quality journalism and tackling tough or taboo topics, or those that touch people in high places.

You can have 2. without 1. (And 1. without 2.). Especially in Thailand, the best journalism does not come from newspapers or even professional Thai journalists. It's either independent publishers on the internet, or (VERY FEW) foreign journalists.

[Ricardo]

I wasn't aware that people went there to breathe better.

I suspect people prefer Pattaya, for 'heavy breathing' at least, over Chiang Mai ?

What a shallow stereotype about people from both places. Typical.

Danger, Will Robinson, sense-of-humour failure-alert !

[PlanetX]

> That about sums up Chiang Mai's attitude for the printed word

Right.. though that's probably true everywhere, with printed (paper) media becoming an increasingly hard sell due to the amount of free content on the Internet.

There are two separate things though:

1. Selling newspapers or magazines (or perhaps better: running a successful media company which includes other income sources)

2. Quality journalism and tackling tough or taboo topics, or those that touch people in high places.

You can have 2. without 1. (And 1. without 2.). Especially in Thailand, the best journalism does not come from newspapers or even professional Thai journalists. It's either independent publishers on the internet, or (VERY FEW) foreign journalists.

Good Points - you arent gonna have any hard hitting journalism unless you want your free ride to "pattaya"

Chiang Mai Food Magazine - specials, promotions, coupons, menus, snapshots of meals, spotlight interesting Thai dishes, how to guide for ordering street food, Thai food combined with weightloss suggestions, hamburger of the month pin-up

Edited January 14, 2011 by PlanetX

[SadieMBeagle]

I'm with the OP here. This is a disgusting "news" article. There are lots of things to make fun of in this world; an instance of child sex abuse is not one of them, IMO. And I see they use their photo subject lines to (once again) mock Thais as being more stupid than farangs.

This is the kind of stuff that I'd expect, and be disappointed, to see some classless loser posting in an expat web forum somewhere. The fact that it's in a print newspaper, well...maybe it's not indicative of the residents of Pattaya, not even a little bit. But to a casual observer like me, it makes me not want to ever visit there.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Another thing is that this newspaper seems to be partnered with our favorite forum. On the one hand TV has made great strides to become the most respectable Thailand oriented forum. But then partnering with a company that produces articles like I posted in the OP seems strangely inappropriate, and quite a few steps back.

Another example : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/427714-hairy-legged-thai-women/ , or http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/427372-beach-road-tarts-dodgy-or-what/

Imagine if I posted that. (Not that I would want to, of course.) Sadie: Thanks.. I realize that also these articles above won't make you want to jump in a bus to Pattaya, but honestly it's not all bad.. Don't mean this as a Pattaya bashing topic. But some people (there and here) need to get out of their caves and join society in a more respectful way. Especially if they run a newspaper.

[SadieMBeagle]

Sadie: Thanks.. I realize that also these articles above won't make you want to jump in a bus to Pattaya, but honestly it's not all bad.. Don't mean this as a Pattaya bashing topic. But some people (there and here) need to get out of their caves and join society in a more respectful way. Especially if they run a newspaper.

I understand that...I'm just saying that Pattaya avoidance is what is going to occur when the casual observer, like myself, reads something like that without knowing anything about the area (except what I've heard about Walking Street, certain coworkers, etc. )

And lest people think that I don't support free speech, of course I do! And that includes my right to be grossed out by this newspaper, and tell you how much it grosses me out

[Jingthing]

This is kind of funny. Read one article from a yellow journalism tabloid from London. Never been there, now not going! Oy!

Edited January 14, 2011 by Jingthing

[jayjay0]

I wasn't aware that people went there to breathe better.

I suspect people prefer Pattaya, for 'heavy breathing' at least, over Chiang Mai ?

What a shallow stereotype about people from both places. Typical.

Danger, Will Robinson, sense-of-humour failure-alert !

Fond memories. As a dinosaur I remember. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh How Sweet It Is.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

That is a disgusting peice of writing and Winnie has every reason to be outraged. Shocking.

As to magazines, you are absolutely right I could never sell Citylife...so you can all have it for free for the forseeable future!

[Jingthing]

That is a disgusting peice of writing and Winnie has every reason to be outraged. Shocking.

As to magazines, you are absolutely right I could never sell Citylife...so you can all have it for free for the forseeable future!

Yeah, but it held your interest enough to READ IT, didn't it?

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Well, only because someone mentioned my mag in ref to it! But yes, it did, like a car wreck, my morbid curiosity was piqued. I just don't understand that level of cynicism...a twelve year old girl for god's sake. It is just mean.