Investigative Journalism?

[Pseudolus]

I made a comment about the complete lack of investigative journalism on one of the many "Chalerm is an untouchable fool" threads and that got me thinking. A lot of the papers here say their freedom of press is under attack so I thought I would have a little look at who owns them.

The paper that seems to be not mentioned here;

Basically owned by Suthikiati Chirathivat http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/85/biz_07thailand_Suthikiati-Chirathivat_6NTT.html and a few others such as Sumeth Damrongchaitham.

The Daily News is owned by the Hetrakul family who in themselves seem to have a fat finger in most other large businesses in Thailand

Thai Rath is owned by the very powerful

Vacharaphol family

Nation media group owned by the Murdoch (maxwell?) of the east Theerapattanavong and buddies

In fact a report in 2004 stated that all but 1 media company in Thailand are controlled by the government and the forces, with that exception being Shin Corp, so we can safely assume that the percentage is now 100%.

So in a nutshell, all the press which as anyone will know actually digs out the stories which then gets trickled up to the very much more reactionary tv and radio is owned and controlled by the people that would have everything to lose if Thailand were to open up a bit, become more international in this thinking, less protective, concentrate less on face saving than confronting or even acknowledging realities.

If a paper gets a little bolshy, they get sued. For Bolshy, read printing the facts that everyone in the country know are the facts and yet they lose the face of someone because their lie was not published as a fact, so they sue.

I just wonder what would happen if someone actually did set up a "Private Eye" type of weekly paper that whole sale lifted the lid on the whole shooting match (literally in Chalerms case)? Completely free press would do more positives for this country than anything else I can think of. IN the mean time, i"ll stick to reading notthenation.com instead

[Kilgore Trout]

Interesting thought, but I think that in addition to setting themselves up for lawsuits and/or being murdered, most Thai people just wouldn't be too interested. In the west we relish in seeing a powerful corporation being knocked down because of corruption and flagrant lawbreaking; we love to see politicians nailed to the wall for hypocrisy etc. I just don't see the Thais as having the same view, for whatever reason. Maybe they think that in a future life they will be rich and therefore sympathize, I don't know.

Just my 2 cents

Edited March 3, 2012 by Kilgore Trout

[RAZZELL]

They'd end up in a "klong" with a "cap" in their head...

RAZZ

Edited March 3, 2012 by RAZZELL

[Pseudolus]

Interesting thought, but I think that in addition to setting themselves up for lawsuits and/or being murdered, most Thai people just wouldn't be too interested. In the west we relish in seeing a powerful corporation being knocked down because of corruption and flagrant lawbreaking; we love to see politicians nailed to the wall for hypocrisy etc. I just don't see the Thais as having the same view, for whatever reason. Maybe they think that in a future life they will be rich and therefore sympathize, I don't know.

Just my 2 cents

I tend to think they would be interested though.The Thai's I work with get wound up by it (excepting the ones who are, well, not that bright)