Facebook the most popular news source for Thais, study shows

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SOCIAL NETWORK
Facebook the most popular news source, study shows
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Facebook has become the most popular source of news for Thais, according to a survey on the popularity of traditional news sources versus online sources conducted by Bangkok University.

The survey was conducted on 1,750 respondents in five provinces over a year.

"Most student source news on Facebook, with the highest proportion being those in the Central region - this was beyond our expectations," said Asst Prof Bubpha Makesrithongkum of the university's Faculty of Mass Communi-cation, who conducted the survey with colleague, Khajornjit Bunnag. "Facebook responds to their demands and they only read what they're interested in."

The respondents were broken down into those of student age, people of working-age and senior citizens. Most respondents were from middle-class background.

Her findings were presented yesterday at Bangkok University's Rangsit Campus in a conference on how mass media should adapt to the challenges of the Internet; an event was organised by the university in cooperation with the Thai Journalist Association (TJA).

Bubpha said the younger generation had a higher tendency to access news through online sources, while people of working age and senior citizens still relied on newspapers and public television. Though overall, public TV was still the most popular source of news in Thailand, she said.

Bubpha added most students found news presentations on Facebook more interesting, although one participant questioned whether the notion of what constitutes news for the younger generation would be the same as that read by older people.

For traditional news, the study revealed that radio was the least popular source.

Sudarat Disayawattana Chan-trawattanakul, dean of mass communication at Panyapiwat Institute of Management, said she was concerned that the introduction of digital TV next year would not necessarily lead to a greater variety of news, because public TV had so far failed to offer much diversity. She also warned that digital television would struggle to finance itself in the first five years, as advertisers would continue to stick with public TV.


-- The Nation 2013-07-20

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Thaivisa Facebook page

[theblether]

Now we know why the Thais know nothing about Hitler.......they think today's news is a cat got stuck in a box.

[Curt1591]

Facebook = News ?!

[Zooheekock]

I read a fair amount of Thai news on Facebook. In fact, the reason I opened an account was for news; after the 2010 repression and the accompanying mass censorship of pretty much all the decent blogs and forums, and even news sources like Prachatai, without fannying about with proxies, it was at times about the only reliable way of getting alternative news. Things have obviously quietened down somewhat on that score (though mass censorship is still practised) so I don't use Facebook as much but I still read things like Matichon there - the fact that someone reads the news via Facebook, rather than at the original website, means nothing much at all.

Edited July 20, 2013 by Zooheekock

[Jingthing]

They should get their news from a more serious source, like Americans do:

[Hunter s somtam]

I got this news through thai visa facebook link. you can get news fast through facebook and twitter.

[Payboy]

They should get their news from a more serious source, like Americans do:

{style_image_url}/attachicon.gif john-stewart-clapping.gif

Only problem, Comedy Central in Thailand are the newsmakers.

[DocN]

They should get their news from a more serious source, like Americans do:

john-stewart-clapping.gif

By the way: an excellent news resource (if you know how to "read" it!) and way, WAY better than any news- service in Thailand!

[Thai at Heart]

When they say television do they mean the morning news where they read the newspaper to you?

The news in the morning here is so turgid it takes 30 minutes to cover one story, no expert opinion, just editorial.

[tcris52]

Fox News; Facebook; Fox News; Facebook? Yeah, I guess I would go with Facebook, too.

[MikeOboe57]

I love the Thai morning news:

It starts with the "anchorman" reading something in a monotonous way. And while he drones on and on and on (as voice over) we see the following:

1. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

2. crying woman being comforted by relatives

3. overweight policeman writing something into his notebook

4. long shot of a blurred object

5. a wrapped body being loaded into an ambulance

6. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

7. crying woman being comforted by relatives

8. overweight policeman writing something into his notebook

9. long shot of a blurred object

10 a wrapped body being loaded into an ambulance

11. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

12. see above

after 5 or 6 repetitions cut back to studio with more droning. Then off to next topic. A soi dog dug out of a sewer (another 5 shots repeated 5 times with droning from the studio).

But perhaps it is helpful if you want to understand "Thainess".

edit: just saw my sarcasm doesn't come out properly. I do not "enjoy" other people's grieve but I dislike how TV stations exploit it.

Edited July 20, 2013 by MikeOboe57

[Thai at Heart]

I love the Thai morning news:

It starts with the "anchorman" reading something in a monotonous way. And while he drones on and on and on (as voice over) we see the following:

1. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

2. crying woman being comforted by relatives

3. overweight policeman writing something into his notebook

4. long shot of a blurred object

5. a wrapped body being loaded into an ambulance

6. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

7. crying woman being comforted by relatives

8. overweight policeman writing something into his notebook

9. long shot of a blurred object

10 a wrapped body being loaded into an ambulance

11. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

12. see above

after 5 or 6 repetitions cut back to studio with more droning. Then off to next topic. A soi dog dug out of a sewer (another 5 shots repeated 5 times with droning from the studio).

But perhaps it is helpful if you want to understand "Thainess".

edit: just saw my sarcasm doesn't come out properly. I do not "enjoy" other people's grieve but I dislike how TV stations exploit it.

And it takes soooooo long to cover a minor story. The monk got 30 minutes every day last week. Meanwhile rice gets virtually nothing.

It's as though they try to be deliberately uninformative.

Edited July 20, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[rotary]

They should get their news from a more serious source, like Americans do:

john-stewart-clapping.gif

You must mean the CARTOON NEWS NETWORK also known as CNN I assume. That's real news, I think?

[rotary]

Another reason to ban FarceBook. People are calling it news now.

Edited July 20, 2013 by rotary

[tominbkk]

Another reason to ban FarceBook. People are calling it news now.

You can 'like' many different news organizations on facebook (including TV). It then creates a feed of sorts. I generally use ZITE or REDDIT for my news though.

Edited July 20, 2013 by tominbkk

[Zooheekock]

Another reason to ban FarceBook. People are calling it news now.

The well of stupidity from which this forum draws is truly bottomless.

[boomerangutang]

Two things:

>>> Facebook is banned in China. Main reasons: it's too easy for regular people to post truth, and too difficult for Beijing iron-fisters to control.

>>> As a comparison; Nation newspaper has lead stories with large photos, such a man who puts on cardboard crown and fries bananas (an actual headline from last week's Nation)

Which is more drivelish? Facebook or print media?

[bigbamboo]

You mean I can believe everything Pangthontae puts up on Facebook ?

[yoshiwara]

Don't they watch Red TV?

[lee b]

Ok.... maybe its me being an idiot, but what kind of news do you get on facebook. ( oh apart from what your mate has had for breakfast )??

[Zooheekock]

Ok.... maybe its me being an idiot, but what kind of news do you get on facebook. ( oh apart from what your mate has had for breakfast )??

I read Matichon and Prachatai there. The Guardian is available via Facebook and I assume pretty much all the major news outlets are too.

Edited July 20, 2013 by Zooheekock

[EyesWideOpen]

Two things:

>>> Facebook is banned in China. Main reasons: it's too easy for regular people to post truth, and too difficult for Beijing iron-fisters to control.

>>> As a comparison; Nation newspaper has lead stories with large photos, such a man who puts on cardboard crown and fries bananas (an actual headline from last week's Nation)

Which is more drivelish? Facebook or print media?

That was my first thought as well. Social media like

Facebook and Twitter in essence completely bypass government

controlled media. It was the foundation of events leading up

to the Arab spring, and one need look no farther than China to see what a controlling government thinks of Facebook. ( They banned it.). If there ever is an actual revolution here where the poor people will rise up against the liege lords, instead of these silly military coups which are nothing more than controlling the new pigs at the feeding trough, then social media will be at the center of it......

[aechzen]

hahahahaha facebook is an internet game create for lonley people

[attento]

We are so lucky to have Facebook, where all the News is so accurate, factual, topical, unbiased and relevant. It just makes you stop and wonder how the News-starved people ever learnt anything in the bad old days of News blackout before FB.

Edited July 20, 2013 by attento

[attento]

Two things:

>>> Facebook is banned in China. Main reasons: it's too easy for regular people to post truth, and too difficult for Beijing iron-fisters to control.

>>> As a comparison; Nation newspaper has lead stories with large photos, such a man who puts on cardboard crown and fries bananas (an actual headline from last week's Nation)

Which is more drivelish? Facebook or print media?

That was my first thought as well. Social media like

Facebook and Twitter in essence completely bypass government

controlled media. It was the foundation of events leading up

to the Arab spring, and one need look no farther than China to see what a controlling government thinks of Facebook. ( They banned it.). If there ever is an actual revolution here where the poor people will rise up against the liege lords, instead of these silly military coups which are nothing more than controlling the new pigs at the feeding trough, then social media will be at the center of it......

I wonder how long it would be if some US citizen started writing on FB about bombing or Jihad or political assasination inside the USA, before the US Government started to take an interest ? Nothing by-passes the Government, would be my guess. Maybe US government takes a different approach than the Chinese, better to read peoples thoughts than to not know what people are thinking or planning.

Edited July 20, 2013 by attento

[Bof]

No wonder Thais know titty about what is going on in the real world.

[Payboy]

So Facebook managed to beat Camfrog for live breaking news?

[tominbkk]

hahahahaha facebook is an internet game create for lonley people

You are ignorant.

[Bluespunk]

I love the Thai morning news:

It starts with the "anchorman" reading something in a monotonous way. And while he drones on and on and on (as voice over) we see the following:

1. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

2. crying woman being comforted by relatives

3. overweight policeman writing something into his notebook

4. long shot of a blurred object

5. a wrapped body being loaded into an ambulance

6. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

7. crying woman being comforted by relatives

8. overweight policeman writing something into his notebook

9. long shot of a blurred object

10 a wrapped body being loaded into an ambulance

11. man talking to camera wiping his eyes

12. see above

after 5 or 6 repetitions cut back to studio with more droning. Then off to next topic. A soi dog dug out of a sewer (another 5 shots repeated 5 times with droning from the studio).

But perhaps it is helpful if you want to understand "Thainess".

edit: just saw my sarcasm doesn't come out properly. I do not "enjoy" other people's grieve but I dislike how TV stations exploit it.

And it takes soooooo long to cover a minor story. The monk got 30 minutes every day last week. Meanwhile rice gets virtually nothing.

It's as though they try to be deliberately uninformative.

Now, there's a theory. Surely it ain't so, TV stations and govts colluding to mislead/misdirect public attention. Could such a thing ever happen?

(Just in case: sarcasm)

[Bluespunk]

Two things:

>>> Facebook is banned in China. Main reasons: it's too easy for regular people to post truth, and too difficult for Beijing iron-fisters to control.

>>> As a comparison; Nation newspaper has lead stories with large photos, such a man who puts on cardboard crown and fries bananas (an actual headline from last week's Nation)

Which is more drivelish? Facebook or print media?

That was my first thought as well. Social media like

Facebook and Twitter in essence completely bypass government

controlled media. It was the foundation of events leading up

to the Arab spring, and one need look no farther than China to see what a controlling government thinks of Facebook. ( They banned it.). If there ever is an actual revolution here where the poor people will rise up against the liege lords, instead of these silly military coups which are nothing more than controlling the new pigs at the feeding trough, then social media will be at the center of it......

I wonder how long it would be if some US citizen started writing on FB about bombing or Jihad or political assasination inside the USA, before the US Government started to take an interest ? Nothing by-passes the Government, would be my guess. Maybe US government takes a different approach than the Chinese, better to read peoples thoughts than to not know what people are thinking or planning.

Or it could be that the govt realises that most people in the usa and other more established democracies when they read the news on FB a:don't care B: don't believe it C: just start posting on the thread. It allows people to vent their anger online and many are satisfied by this, knowing a lot of people will read their views. Takes away feelings of powerless without actually changing anything. Pretty much the same way the Arab spring led to a lot of people feeling they were in control, yet nothing really changed except the faces at the top, but of course without the bloodshed and economic damage. I'm not saying social media prevents social change, it clearly aids it in that it helps people come together and arrange protest movements. However in places like the USA it has a different affect, it helps people feel they are having a say and for most people that's enough.