Reducing govt representatives in media council will not help: Thepchai
In response to the latest media-reform resolution released Tuesday, president of the Confederation of Thai Journalists, Thepchai Yong, said that even though the number of government representatives in the proposed media council has been cut down, the aim is still to control the media.
“This mechanism [with such a composition] is unprecedented and opens the door to state interference,” the veteran journalist said. “Plus, once the council is given such authority, other interest groups will come and intervene.”
He also pointed out that politicians usually appointed such officials.
“We don’t see this as backtracking. Even though the number [of government representatives] has been cut down, it still reflects the real intention,” he said.
Though the National Reform Steering Assembly’s media-reform committee agreed to cut the number of permanent secretaries at the council from four to two after strong opposition from media organisations, it will still maintain authority on media licensing.
Thepchai also insisted that the law had to be reviewed, as it was not in line with the government’s promise to restore democracy. Hence, the media will continue opposing the regulatory bill, he said.
“We will meet with the National Legislative Assembly and the government, and try really hard as this law can have a great impact on society and public participation,” Thepchai said.
