Klanarong to head probe into media's bribery scandal: Press Council of Thailand

[webfact]

Klanarong to head probe into media's bribery scandal



BANGKOK: -- Former secretary-general of National Anti-Corruption Commission Klanarong Chantik was today named head of an independent panel to probe a scandal that a group of senior journalists have received payments from an agro industry giant to write positive news about the corporation.

Mr Klanarong’s appointment was jointly made by the National Press Council of Thailand and the Broadcast Media Profession Council in response to a report of the Thailand Centre for Independent Journal (TCIJ) claiming that agro industry giant, CPF, has set aside a public relations budget alleged to buy favour from senior journalists from some newspapers under the guise of “special fund for the support of media” to present the corporation in a positive light.

The document leaked to the public by TCIJ suggested that 19 senior journalists were on the payroll of CPF.

The TCIJ report said that the payments might be a reciprocal arrangement with the press which is a violation of the press’s code of conduct and its duty to provide information to the public in a balanced manner.

In a joint statement issued today, the two media councils expressed serious concern over the allegations which, they said, impact on the credibility of the media as a whole and also affect the credibility of the corporation concerned.

To clear the air about the scandal and for the sake of transparency, the two councils decided today to set up an independent panel headed by Mr Klanarong to investigate the case.

CPF, meanwhile, issued a statement denying that the company has ever “bought” journalists or any media outlet to distort news or reports in favour of the company as alleged.

However, the company admitted that it has allocated a fund which is not a big amount to support the activities of the media such as seminars or charity golf meets to raise fund for media organizations.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/klanarong-head-probe-medias-bribery-scandal/


-- Thai PBS 2014-07-15

[siampolee]

Is this not called loobbying in the U.S and publicity in the U.K. isn't that what the press is doing all the time around the world nationally and locally?

All news outlets have a bias politically, ehnically socially, sport and entertainment and business wise.

Agreed there are watchdogs in the U.K. and the U.S to name the two countries I cited who tend to monitor the claims of food giants, perhaps those ideas and systems might well be copied and employed here.

Money motivates people nothing novel in that.

[zaphod reborn]

It violates no law. It's none of the government's business. It's purely a matter of journalistic ethics for failing to disclose the payments when the favorable publicity was published.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[AleG]

While they are at it they could finally go around investigating PTP paying journalists during the last election.

[lostsoul49]

It violates no law. It's none of the government's business. It's purely a matter of journalistic ethics for failing to disclose the payments when the favorable publicity was published.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Actually it is against the terms of their journalist license and the terms of their Thai journalist association membership.

Also I think you will find that disseminating false information to the public for money is probably in breech of some law.

CP there is very little good to write about that company, and plenty of bad.

On the basis the public has a right to know the truth, I think CP should be pulled into the light on this.

Also, as for this statement from CP....

CPF, meanwhile, issued a statement denying that the company has ever “bought” journalists or any media outlet to distort news or reports in favour of the company as alleged.

However, the company admitted that it has allocated a fund which is not a big amount to support the activities of the media such as seminars or charity golf meets to raise fund for media organizations.

Is basically saying 'we pay the media, but in a twisted sort of way that you lot are too stupid to notice'.

Well some of us are not stupid.

[englishoak]

Can the recent ordered media publicity of all the happy clappy stuff and nothing "negative" not be considered exactly the same thing just different method of "payment"?

Edited July 15, 2014 by englishoak

[wandasloan]

Actually it is against the terms of their journalist license and the terms of their Thai journalist association membership.

There is no such thing as a journalist licence, not here or any civilised country. You (and I) have no idea who these 19 people are, so you (and I) have no idea if they belong to any association or what the terms of that membership may be.

Mr Reborn was correct in all he wrote. He'd make a good journalist, heh.

.

[Thaddeus]

Head's Up.

[northernjohn]

It violates no law. It's none of the government's business. It's purely a matter of journalistic ethics for failing to disclose the payments when the favorable publicity was published.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Actually it is against the terms of their journalist license and the terms of their Thai journalist association membership.

Also I think you will find that disseminating false information to the public for money is probably in breech of some law.

CP there is very little good to write about that company, and plenty of bad.

On the basis the public has a right to know the truth, I think CP should be pulled into the light on this.

Also, as for this statement from CP....

CPF, meanwhile, issued a statement denying that the company has ever “bought” journalists or any media outlet to distort news or reports in favour of the company as alleged.

However, the company admitted that it has allocated a fund which is not a big amount to support the activities of the media such as seminars or charity golf meets to raise fund for media organizations.

Is basically saying 'we pay the media, but in a twisted sort of way that you lot are too stupid to notice'.

Well some of us are not stupid.

Well what is the difference between getting paid for it and misreporting it. Here in Thailand there seems to be no such thing as investigative journalism.

More like what will sell the best today news.

How many times just here on Thai Visa have we seen an article with a head line that has nothing to do with the article.

I can understand the investigation if there was a code of ethics that the media abides by. But from what I can see it is what will sell first and then maybe validity.

[whatsupdoc]

Nothing new. My wife has first hand experience ( but long ago) about a famous news show reporting badly about a well-known company. This company was told that the negative reporting would not occur again if the company would advertise in the show. So that's what happened....

I only wonder who is to blame in the OP article, did CP offer the bribe or was it initiated by the media?

[WitawatWatawit]

In other countries, this issue might come under laws regarding misconduct. But not sure whether this would apply here. Not sure if it matters, anyway, as the general public won't care - Sorayuth Sutthassanachinda (sp?) is still on air.

[Stan7444]

It violates no law. It's none of the government's business. It's purely a matter of journalistic ethics for failing to disclose the payments when the favorable publicity was published.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Actually it is against the terms of their journalist license and the terms of their Thai journalist association membership.

Also I think you will find that disseminating false information to the public for money is probably in breech of some law.

CP there is very little good to write about that company, and plenty of bad.

On the basis the public has a right to know the truth, I think CP should be pulled into the light on this.

Also, as for this statement from CP....

CPF, meanwhile, issued a statement denying that the company has ever “bought” journalists or any media outlet to distort news or reports in favour of the company as alleged.

However, the company admitted that it has allocated a fund which is not a big amount to support the activities of the media such as seminars or charity golf meets to raise fund for media organizations.

Is basically saying 'we pay the media, but in a twisted sort of way that you lot are too stupid to notice'.

Well some of us are not stupid.

Another popular way to pay the media, and legally, is to take out lots of advertising and the media will then slant news more favorably. However, compensating individual journalists is against all codes of journalism and such journalists, if found guilt, should be fired. They are paid by their media company and owe 100% of their efforts to such company, unless they are free-lancers.

[Thai at Heart]

Actually it is against the terms of their journalist license and the terms of their Thai journalist association membership.

There is no such thing as a journalist licence, not here or any civilised country. You (and I) have no idea who these 19 people are, so you (and I) have no idea if they belong to any association or what the terms of that membership may be.

Mr Reborn was correct in all he wrote. He'd make a good journalist, heh.

.

Maybe some of these journos have contracts with state TV stations or newspapers which prohibit second payments.

Why is anyone gunning for CP. I thought they were tight with people in th army.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[wandasloan]

Maybe some of these journos have contracts with state TV stations or newspapers which prohibit second payments.

Maybe all the media people are the owners of their respective media. But you (and I) have no idea whether this is the case. The value of speculation is lost on me.

Why is anyone gunning for CP. I thought they were tight with people in th army.

The people who released the report were "gunning for" corrupt media people. It's why the group exists.

That said, do you not think there are people who would be thrilled to gun for CP *_BECAUSE_* they are tight with the army? Not everyone in Thailand thinks alike. Yet. Not about large companies and men with guns, anyhow. But anyway, that is not what happened. CP stood in the middle of the road, and it got run over.

.

[DekDaeng]

It violates no law. It's none of the government's business. It's purely a matter of journalistic ethics for failing to disclose the payments when the favorable publicity was published.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The public has a right to know. & it seems here no journos have the backbone to do it - so government must.

[Chang_paarp]

In the west this is done through advertising in the paper. The granting a removing the largesse of the promotional budget is the correct way.

CP could have "hired" the journalists to write a promotional piece that is then submitted through the advertising department, how it is printed is a matter for the paper. Paying them a "backhander" was very old school, they need to get into the later half of the 20th century.