Journalists walk a fine line when it comes to freebies

Travelling abroad on a press junket with politicians and officials has always been an awkward issue for those in the media industry in any country. Technically these trips are supposed to be free for reporters who are asked to go along, because they are paid for by Mr and Mrs Taxpayer. Some of these trips, such as visits to the United Nations headquarters in New York, are routine, and are made every year. But then there are those trips that are not routine, and are often planned out by particular officials. 

It’s often awkward for the media industry and reporters (some reporters, at least) because there is a sense of kraeng jai (polite respect) towards the officials who issue the invitations and organise the trip. After all, the money is coming out of their agency’s budget. 

Some publications in foreign countries make it a policy to reject such offers of junkets and overseas trips. Some go as far as to refuse a free cup of coffee from government officials. But in Thailand, the line is often blurred. Rejecting a cup of coffee or a soft drink from a government official could be deemed insulting. The working culture varies from place to place, and the bottom line is that there is no single rule that applies to all. 

Nevertheless, this is not an excuse to ignore journalists’ integrity and the responsibility that comes with it. In this respect, government officials who offer these “freebies” should not be let off the hook. They should be seen as part of the problem, or, in this respect, part of a solution.

For the time being, Thai governments and the media industry may not have a clear-cut policy on this sticky issue. Perhaps the best way to go about it is to treat the matter on a case-by-case basis and weigh the merits of each trip. In any case, the itinerary should be an indication.

Currently the National Press Council of Thailand and the Thai Broadcasters’ Association are investigating 39 journalists, from both the print and broadcast media, who spent a week under the auspices of National Assembly House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranand during a so-called “study tour” of the UK, France and Belgium. 

The trip reportedly cost the Thai taxpayer an estimated Bt7 million. But the money is not the only issue at hand – the question is whether this trip was more about perks for reporters than a meaningful assignment. 

Moreover, the fact that Somsak – the generous host of a fabulous and fun trip for local journalists – is a high-profile political figure who plays a key role in the ongoing domestic political crisis and deadlock, must be taken into consideration. 

It is an open secret that Thai lawmakers and bureaucrats like to take opulent overseas trips, especially towards the end of the fiscal year, to use up whatever money is left before the annual budget expires. These trips are often disguised as “study tours”, with unclear objectives. Journalists are often invited and it is quite clear that such invitations come from the “generosity” of the invitees. 

In more ways than one, the issue of freebies epitomises an overall malaise in the Thai media. Because of this situation, it is in the best interests of the public that individual journalists and the media industry in general go through a period of serious soul-searching about the role of watchdog and the compromises and challenges that need to be confronted. 

Moreover, the fact that TV news anchor Sorrayuth Suthasanachinda is being investigated for embezzlement and bribery by the National Anti-Corruption Commission does not make this issue any easier for the media industry. If anything, it has placed the industry and the issue of media ethics under an unwanted spotlight. And as the industry decides where to go from here, it needs to keep in mind that it is accountable to the public, and that the public’s best interests must be at the heart of the debate.