Media experts back Thai PBS model for self-supervision
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Thai PBS is the model for media self-supervision while the current media climate in Thailand should not become the norm, a Bangkok seminar heard yesterday.
Supinya Klangnarong, a National Broadcasting and Telecommunica-tions Commission (NBTC) member, said the current situation involved more direct use of state authority with the media, meaning there was a need to set criteria on how to identify unacceptable content and mete out appropriate punishment.
The seminar on the feasibility of media self-supervision attracted many high-profile media members, including Thai Broadcast Journalists Association president Thepchai Yong.
It was hosted by the NBTC.
Thepchai, Nation Multimedia Group editor-in-chief, said Thai PBS’s structure was a good model for self-supervision in terms of ethical conduct within an organisation.
He explained that the establishment of a central media body, which would have the power to create pressure and trends, would reflect media members’ sincerity and promote their participation.
Thepchai added that media was able to supervise itself.
He said that while the media was prepared to implement this mechanism, the main point to consider was the quality of media members.
Thepchai said TV media was currently the most influential media force in Thailand while newspapers’ influence had decreased.
The influence of social media as a mechanism to unofficially oversee the mainstream media effectively was on the rise. Hence the idea of media self-supervision was not far-fetched.
Thepchai said the present media climate was abnormal and as such it should not direct where the industry is headed.
Relaying previous discussions among media executives, he said the media knew what society expected of it and the supervising mechanism details should be considered carefully so that the state did not interfere with the industry.
Prasong Lertratanawisute, executive director of the Isra News Agency, said he believed the Thai PBS model was a good one.
However, Asst Prof Pirongrong Ramasoota from Chulalongkorn University’s Thai Media Policy Centre, said the self-regulatory system was not practical due to many reasons, including media businesses’ top focus being their survival.
She pointed out that bodies comprising media organisations tended to pay more attention to self-interest than public interest.
“The public also lacks an adequate understanding of the supervision of the media. They don’t know where they can turn to if they notice unethical media,” she said.
Vasant Paileeklee, vice chair of the National Reform Council’s committee on media and IT reform, said he believed the self-regulatory system would be inadequate.
He pointed out that the self-regulatory system relied on media organisations joining in on a voluntary basis, which meant some organisations could opt out or quit if they were unhappy.
“I think we will need a co-regulation,” he said.
According to Vasant, laws should be legislated to directly control advertising and public relations spending by state agencies.
