Thai Media To Remain Biased After General Election

[webfact]

Media to remain biased

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

The Thai media most likely will continue to be highly politicised, biased and divided - even after this Sunday's general election, a symposium on partiality and impartiality of media during elections has concluded.

The discussion was organised by the Senate's committee for human rights, liberty and consumer protection.

"Right now, are we biased and prejudiced due to our love and hatred, or not?" asked Boonlert Kachayuthadej, journalist and adviser to Matichon newspaper. "Are we going to deny that news headlines are biased and prejudiced?"

Boonlert said the past five years or so had seen the emergence of a political mass media with its own goals and ideologies. Some resorted to giving political opponents degrading names, like calling the now detained red-shirt co-leader Jatuporn Promphan a "toad".

The situation is messy and there are no standards to be followed any longer, he admitted.

Suwat Thongthanakul, editor of ASTV Manager Weekly news magazine, a mouthpiece publication of the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said it did not dwell on dehumanising words and characterisations, often practised by both yellow- and red-shirt media, but insisted the media must lead society out of the current crisis.

"The media's role must be different from the past... We must choose sides, choose the righteous side in order to protect national interests," he said, adding media must not be satisfied with merely being a messenger. It must perform the functions of a gatekeeper and censor on what it thinks the public ought not to read, watch or hear.

Similar views were expressed before the panel last week by Sonthiyarn Chuenruethai-naitham, owner and director of T news agency, a conservative royalist media. Sonthiyarn said he would not hire anyone who didn't share his political views to work at his news organisation, Thailand's third most popular mobile phone SMS news service provider. He added that staff who are hired but ended up having a different political stance from him would be asked to leave.

Sonthiyarn claimed it would be also pointless for a royalist anti-Thaksin Shinawatra person like himself to apply to Voice TV, which was founded and funded by Thaksin's son.

Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn, a former TV journalist, admitted the political conflict is getting deeper in Thai society and has affected circles of friends and families who hold differing views. "So what kind of caveat do we need when we consume news?"

-- The Nation 2011-06-30

[patjem]

Didn't think that calling him a toad was "biased": quite an apt description, really.

[OzMick]

Asa Wind in the Willows fan, I object strongly. Mr toad was quite a likeable chap!

[ib1b4]

Seriously the Thai media are not doing that sort of censorship are they?

[FOODLOVER]

Awesome! Now we have Monkey,Kimono Dragon,Water Buffalo,Dog,and Toad. Have not read the platform but does the toad bring with him a bag of flies? Remember that the monkey had the banana and opposed thumbs!

Edited June 30, 2011 by FOODLOVER

[EvilDrSomkid]

Are these guys for real? They have NO clue what it means to be a journalist.

They are openly advocating censorship and have the audacity to claim to know what the public should hear.

<deleted> THAT!

The moment they choose sides, they not journalists anymore, they are propagandists!

And so the country digs itself deeper in the hole of oppression and ignorance.

[DP25]

This guy commenting on biased and prejudiced media is hilarious

[Huey]

The media is Bias Against Al-Qaida and other terrorists groups, why should it be any different for the red shirts?

[evanson]

The media is Bias Against Al-Qaida and other terrorists groups, why should it be any different for the red shirts?

I hope you're not equating the 'red herring' that is the US backed and trained Al Queada with a particular section of a particular country which may or may not have been duped into believing they have a shot at a better quality of living under a particular personage?

Edited June 30, 2011 by evanson

[patjem]

The media is Bias Against Al-Qaida and other terrorists groups, why should it be any different for the red shirts?

Well, you did notice the link between them, whether bias toward them or not, both the parties you mention can fairly be classed in the "terrorist" category.

[Huey]

The media is Bias Against Al-Qaida and other terrorists groups, why should it be any different for the red shirts?

I hope you're not equating the 'red herring' that is the US backed and trained Al Queada with a particular section of a particular country which may or may not have been duped into believing they have a shot at a better quality of living under a particular personage?

You wanna get your tin foil hat and speak plainly please?

[MrChangers]

perish the thought they may even be like the European press and push the values of their party! Thailand with a neutral press, freedom of information, I'm lost for words after reading the rubbish that is printed here.

[hellodolly]

perish the thought they may even be like the European press and push the values of their party! Thailand with a neutral press, freedom of information, I'm lost for words after reading the rubbish that is printed here.

my take on the article was that the Media is the ones to remain Biased after the election. The average Thai voter can not tell you how much difference there is in the two parties.

Yes he can quote what they promised but he has no idea about what they will and can deliver. He just relies on The Media to tell him or some guy in the pay of some one who stands to make a ton of money if the other party is run out of politics.

Just my opinion.

[MrChangers]

perish the thought they may even be like the European press and push the values of their party! Thailand with a neutral press, freedom of information, I'm lost for words after reading the rubbish that is printed here.

my take on the article was that the Media is the ones to remain Biased after the election. The average Thai voter can not tell you how much difference there is in the two parties.

Yes he can quote what they promised but he has no idea about what they will and can deliver. He just relies on The Media to tell him or some guy in the pay of some one who stands to make a ton of money if the other party is run out of politics.

Just my opinion.

HelloDolly I niether agree or disagree as that would be what the press does. I do agree that the press remains biased no matter what and the press in Thailand is very much biased if not fully guided towards the right ..... I will get sent to hell for this, but it is true ...... The average Thai is only emerging out of poverty and getting an education to see how much they have been denied,

[rubl]

perish the thought they may even be like the European press and push the values of their party! Thailand with a neutral press, freedom of information, I'm lost for words after reading the rubbish that is printed here.

my take on the article was that the Media is the ones to remain Biased after the election. The average Thai voter can not tell you how much difference there is in the two parties.

Yes he can quote what they promised but he has no idea about what they will and can deliver. He just relies on The Media to tell him or some guy in the pay of some one who stands to make a ton of money if the other party is run out of politics.

Just my opinion.

HelloDolly I niether agree or disagree as that would be what the press does. I do agree that the press remains biased no matter what and the press in Thailand is very much biased if not fully guided towards the right ..... I will get sent to hell for this, but it is true ...... The average Thai is only emerging out of poverty and getting an education to see how much they have been denied,

'the press remains biased'. We've got both 'Europian' and 'Thai' press mentioned. No proof of this, but being biased doesn't seem to matter nor being independent of what one believes.

The average Thai who is just getting an education is probably not thinking how much he/she has been denied (without the education). They may wonder why it took so long to get the education and realise that educations need hard work as well.

[MrChangers]

perish the thought they may even be like the European press and push the values of their party! Thailand with a neutral press, freedom of information, I'm lost for words after reading the rubbish that is printed here.

my take on the article was that the Media is the ones to remain Biased after the election. The average Thai voter can not tell you how much difference there is in the two parties.

Yes he can quote what they promised but he has no idea about what they will and can deliver. He just relies on The Media to tell him or some guy in the pay of some one who stands to make a ton of money if the other party is run out of politics.

Just my opinion.

HelloDolly I niether agree or disagree as that would be what the press does. I do agree that the press remains biased no matter what and the press in Thailand is very much biased if not fully guided towards the right ..... I will get sent to hell for this, but it is true ...... The average Thai is only emerging out of poverty and getting an education to see how much they have been denied,

'the press remains biased'. We've got both 'Europian' and 'Thai' press mentioned. No proof of this, but being biased doesn't seem to matter nor being independent of what one believes.

The average Thai who is just getting an education is probably not thinking how much he/she has been denied (without the education). They may wonder why it took so long to get the education and realise that educations need hard work as well.

Lucky for you that you can read European languages and Thai. Lucky for me as a teacher I can see how much the "average Thai" is starting to ask questions, helped on oh course

[rubl]

HelloDolly I niether agree or disagree as that would be what the press does. I do agree that the press remains biased no matter what and the press in Thailand is very much biased if not fully guided towards the right ..... I will get sent to hell for this, but it is true ...... The average Thai is only emerging out of poverty and getting an education to see how much they have been denied,

'the press remains biased'. We've got both 'Europian' and 'Thai' press mentioned. No proof of this, but being biased doesn't seem to matter nor being independent of what one believes.

The average Thai who is just getting an education is probably not thinking how much he/she has been denied (without the education). They may wonder why it took so long to get the education and realise that educations need hard work as well.

Lucky for you that you can read European languages and Thai. Lucky for me as a teacher I can see how much the "average Thai" is starting to ask questions, helped on oh course

Now we touch on issues. Being from a working class family myself I could only study because of financial help from the government (which I had to pay back) and moral support of my family (plus a bit of effort on my side for sure).

Of course you may need the education to understand what might have been denied you. Once you have a certain level of education you realise that what may have been denied because of a lesser education may be recovered by improving (your) education. With a lesser educational level, and even with help from governments, NGO's or whatever, you still need to show YOURSELF and others that you will be able to reach the higher educational level. Just saying 'I have been denied' doesn't help much

[MrChangers]

HelloDolly I niether agree or disagree as that would be what the press does. I do agree that the press remains biased no matter what and the press in Thailand is very much biased if not fully guided towards the right ..... I will get sent to hell for this, but it is true ...... The average Thai is only emerging out of poverty and getting an education to see how much they have been denied,

'the press remains biased'. We've got both 'Europian' and 'Thai' press mentioned. No proof of this, but being biased doesn't seem to matter nor being independent of what one believes.

The average Thai who is just getting an education is probably not thinking how much he/she has been denied (without the education). They may wonder why it took so long to get the education and realise that educations need hard work as well.

Lucky for you that you can read European languages and Thai. Lucky for me as a teacher I can see how much the "average Thai" is starting to ask questions, helped on oh course

Now we touch on issues. Being from a working class family myself I could only study because of financial help from the government (which I had to pay back) and moral support of my family (plus a bit of effort on my side for sure).

Of course you may need the education to understand what might have been denied you. Once you have a certain level of education you realise that what may have been denied because of a lesser education may be recovered by improving (your) education. With a lesser educational level, and even with help from governments, NGO's or whatever, you still need to show YOURSELF and others that you will be able to reach the higher educational level. Just saying 'I have been denied' doesn't help much

You do not know of my social upbringing or how I came back to Thailand. Your comments are offensive, If you wish to be personal then mail me and we can discuss but this is not a forum for personal attack. Thank you

[cdnvic]

I don't think it was meant as a personal attack if you read it more carefully.