Social media now an inescapable reality
Until the late 20th century, media reports and advertising slots were the only channels through which public and private organisations in Thailand disseminated their messages to the masses. Then websites became widely used, but most were passive: it could
Today, big or small, they cannot afford to not have their own Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Instagram or LINE messaging service.
As social media shapes today’s public communication, it demands that all, including the media, change the way they operate.
Before the arrival of social media, newsrooms relied mostly on information from those organisations – when a press conference would take place or a report would be released. Only a few had the proper mechanisms in place to take direct tips from the public before sorting out what was worth being investigated. When websites started to be widely used, these organisations needed to monitor ones belonging to key public and private organisations. Those covering the Stock Exchange of Thailand, for instance, needed to scour the website three times a day – before the morning session, at noon break, and at the end of daily trade. That has become a prerequisite to keep a tab on announcements of listed companies.
Direct feed from these organisations to newsrooms continue, requiring hourly checking of mailboxes. But compared to the past, today’s activities have increased five fold. About 30 years ago, some 300 companies were listed on the stock market, against some 1,000 now. Nearly 30 years ago, Thailand had only a few industrial estates where foreign companies’ manufacturing facilities were located. Today, there are more than 10 and many of these companies seek space in conventional media.
In some organisations, the communications department’s key performance indices include the number of releases they send out to media on a monthly basis. No wonder, each day, a newsroom can expect more than 200 emails.
Today, like the common man, people in the newsroom also have to monitor Facebook pages, Tweets and Instagram posts of politicians and celebrities. Since Thailand’s “colour” political wars began, some politicians find Facebook the best tool to convey their opinion to the public. Not all of that appears in the conventional media, but it does reach their audience.
It is no longer surprising that some of this news found their way to some newspapers, while other newspapers may report something else.
In an era when smartphones account for half of the mobile phones in use in Thailand, society also finds its own way to keep a tab on what it is interested in. This demands that newsmen work harder. Working equally hard are public and private organisations, which must change the way they communicate with the public.
Three years ago when terrorism acts were less frequent, the three Thai mobile phone companies were slower in coming up with strategies to help customers. Today, they adjust well. Free services are nearly automatically on offer to customers travelling in the countries where such terrorism acts take place. And they do not rely on media to relay this news: they can get this info if they follow the companies’ Twitter or LINE.
The Foreign Ministry is also quick to tweet the emergency numbers of the embassies.
When the National Council for Peace and Order first took control of Thailand, the Royal Thai Army’s tweets focused on details of its orders. The latest tweets were about the Army men’s services during the most recent holiday period.
Today, nearly all Thai banks have their own Twitter accounts, where products and services are tweeted daily. Two-way communication is promised through this channel. For example, Siam Commercial Bank is dealing with a man who reported a fraudulent practice through tweets. Last week, when asked about ATM skimming at its ATM machine, Krungthai Bank was quick to neutralise the report through its Twitter account.
Even the Bank of Thailand has had to keep pace with social media. One heard reports that the bank’s communications staff were recently trained by experts on how to be more engaged with the masses through social media. That appears to be necessary in an era when unsubstantiated reports can cause damage within minutes.
The central bank is now busy in ensuring that PromptPay, the first step in the launch of the national e-payment scheme, would smoothly take off in October. Yet, a few weeks ago, many Facebook and Twitter users shared legal expert Borwornsak Uwanno’s harsh comment against PromptPay amid fears over security issues. As senior officials handled this misunderstanding, none of that appeared in the Bank of Thailand’s Facebook page or Twitter. There is a lot to learn and many organisations will need to keep up with it.
In this regard, the Bangkok Mass Transit System is among the ones that may need to improve its communications big time. Earlier this year, when its service suffered from technical glitches, it was rather slow on Twitter. That was unforgivable given that its service caters to more than 600,000 commuters each day. The number will only grow when new lines are up and running.
Well, social media makes the world smaller. But it also allows the free flow of positive and negative comments. No organisation can afford poor communication, as this will only spur negativity against them.
