Media Literacy Needed Among Television Viewers

[webfact]

Media literacy needed among TV viewers, says watchdog

By Pakamard Jaichalard

The Nation

In the wake of growing concerns about the negative impacts popular soap opera "Dok Som Si Thong" might be having, the Media Monitor said yesterday that increasing "media literacy" could be the solution.

Manager of the media watchdog, Tham Chuasathapanasiri, said TV viewers rarely discussed the plot, but instead talked a lot about the abusive language, violent scenes and the sexual content.

"This shows that the audience does not get the core of the story," he said. "The viewers are not media literate."

He explained that the love scenes and abusive language were only used to attract viewers.

"Dok Som Si Thong" is on air from 8.30pm to 10.30pm because of its "Nor 18+" rating, which means it is recommended for audiences aged 18 or older. However, several scenes in the series have raised the question as to whether Nor 18+ is the correct rating.

Television shows have been rated since late 2006, except this rating is given by the producers and TV stations themselves.

"There are flaws in this rating system. There are many mistakes," Tham said, adding that the best thing would be to raise media literacy among people because there were so many channels for viewers to tune into.

"There are more than 100 channels on cable television, and people can watch what they want on the Internet," Tham pointed out. "Therefore, it is better to make people more media literate so they know how to deal with the content they are exposed to."

He said media literacy was not taught in school and "even at the university level, only 9 per cent teach it".

After closely studying more than 120 local television series, Media Monitor said that up to 95 per cent contained scenes of violence because it was an easy way out. They did, however, come up with at least 27 different modes of killing, including normal methods like sabotaging brake systems, poisoning and shooting.

In a related development, Culture Ministry permanent secretary Somchai Sianglai said relevant parties would be invited to discuss the rating system within a month.

"We aim to create the right understanding and also hope the same system is used on both the small and big screen," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-05-11

[Richb2004v2]

That program has been driving me mad for the past week!!! Words can not explain how annoying it is!

[zzaa09]

Media literacy is nice as it is rhetorically promoted. A media that is open, free, objective, critical, and question would be the balance for the so-called clarion of media literacy.

[Moonrakers]

That program has been driving me mad for the past week!!! Words can not explain how annoying it is!

Has plenty of eye candy.

I can't think of any other redeeming factors!

[robsamui]

Media literacy is nice as it is rhetorically promoted. A media that is open, free, objective, critical, and question would be the balance for the so-called clarion of media literacy.

Once again - - WHAT?

[robsamui]

MEDIA?

LITERACY?

What twirp wrote this!

How many Thai people actually READ (assuming that they are able to) the stories that go with the front page newspaper headlines with the uncensored decapitated bodies and blood-smeared carnage that appears every day? No - they just gawp at the pictures.

If a person is "literate" - meaning they are able to both express themselves in their own language and to understand a narrative - then it doesn't matter whether it's in words, pictures or moving pictures.

As very few of the Thai nation are educated in their school to be literate then it follows that all they can do is to focus their attention on those moments when violence or sex is broadcast on TV. It has (ironically) become the same in America now, although for different reasons.

EDUCATE the young Thai people - don't just teach them what is what according to the national party line. Tell them all about the huge wide world outside. Let them look at the History Channel and the National Geographic. Don't discourage them if they want to ask questions of the teacher. Let them know that although their country is ... "simply amazing" ... it's only one of another 98 countries, all of which have different ideas and philosophies, and allow them to investigate other outlooks.

It might be a start to make education compulsory! (Yeah I know it is supposed to be but when was the last time you heard of a rice farmer getting taken to court for keeping his young sons at home during the harvest?)

"Media education"? What a crock of sh*t. Lets begin with basic education. Teach the Thai children about other countries. General Knowledge. World history. Then maybe then the same Thai university graduates who put band-aids on their face when they get tooth-ache and who think "fresh juice" is what you have from a can that's just been opened and who don't know whether Paris is a country or a city might get to actually follow the plot on a TV story in their own language without only scanning for the juicy bits.

But, then, if the average Thai person ever was to become this savvy then there wouldn't be an audience for the neverending TV shows with pantomime TV characters and with whistles, bells, drumrolls, horns and honks whenever someone cracked a joke, nevermind the soaps that are full of sex (censored) and violence (toned down).

R.

Edited May 11, 2011 by robsamui