Journalists concerned over reporting quality

Freedom of expression might be the main issue of concern elsewhere but journalists from Asean, notably those from countries in the Mekong basin, are worried about the quality of news reporting, the violation of media ethics and a lack of accurate knowledge among reporters.

A regional forum of Asean journalists, held in Hanoi last week, saw the role of the media as a part of national development. Mainstream media in countries like Laos and Vietnam are mostly controlled by the state.

“The Vietnamese public believes what the press reports, especially on events affecting the socio-political life of the country. This requires journalists to be more responsible when performing their duties,” said Tran Gia Thai, vice president of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association.

One of the challenges in Vietnam is that news stories on economic issues tend to lack in-depth analysis, while newspapers appear to be meddling with consumers on the use of imported goods, and sometimes promoting and protecting certain groups.

Many questions were raised during the conference by senior Vietnamese journalists on the requirements and skills for a reporter to perform his or her role, with one having mentioned that “a journalist is only a journalist; it cannot go and criticise every topic out there”.

Realising that the issue of economics is not easy to report, yet tempting for young reporters, the forum underlined that journalists need to acquire well-rounded knowledge of issues and adequate training to be able to report accurately and interestingly. 

Thonglor Duangsavanh, deputy director of Lao Press in Foreign Languages and managing editor of the state-run Vientiane Times newspaper, highlighted the media in Laos, which plays a key role in shaping and promoting sustainable economic development in the country by shifting opinions and changing actions.

Thonglor said one of the challenges faced by the Lao media is low-quality reporting. “ I always tell my reporters not to be 10-legged reporters [four legs from the chair, four legs from the table, and two of their own], because sometimes they just go out and come back and write from a press release, having got no interviews,” he said. In order to improve their skills, Lao reporters are often sent to train in neighbouring countries like Vietnam and Thailand, he added.

Professional ethics is another concern in Laos, Thonglor said, pointing out that sometimes reporters are given gifts and other benefits from companies to write good-news stories.

As for Cambodia, Khan Sophirom from the Rasmei Kampuchea Daily newspaper said new media now played a crucial role in Cambodian society. 

Reporters must, therefore, pay attention to sensitive issues such as the “Channel 3 incident”, in which a Thai TV journalist was filmed while reporting with the picture of former King Sihanouk near her feet.

As Asean economic integration draws more business attention to the region, Thailand’s Nantinee Lailaeiat of Thai PBS suggested that governments should do more to include the public voice in their community development projects, building from the bottom up.  

It is also a reporter’s job to create the right understanding of what is happening in Asean among the public, especially if it concerns economics. “We, as journalists, have to make comprehensive reports, not just citing economic figures but also highlighting social and environmental impacts that might arise from economic development,” Nantinee said.