"Thai politics is experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon in which the popular votes combined with the political management have ushered in a dictatorship of one party with big capital," said Chai-anan Samudvanija, director of Vajiravudh College.

Chai-anan was speaking on the subject of media and politics at an event organised by the Isara Amanthakul Foundation, which was set up in memory of the late journalist who fought for press freedom.

He said the unfolding of political activities in recent months has served to highlight the importance of the mass media's role in maintaining checks and balance in society after other mechanisms and institutions succumb to the powers that be.

"Unlike the past when people's political leanings were classified by their socio-economic conditions, Thai society is now divided by the amount of information disseminated to respective individuals," he said.

With regard to press freedom, he said many media outlets may be free to report but do not attain professional independence because they have to rely on news churned out by the government.

"People who can access cable television broadcasts, over which the government has no control, voted differently from their counterparts who did not have such access," he added.

Aided by big capital, the one-party rule has achieved complete control over the political scene, leaving media professionals as the last bastion to fight the powers-that-be, Chai-anan said.

He made a plea for media restructuring in order to safeguard press freedom, particularly in the television industry.

Media professionals, he said, should openly embrace politics because he believes it is impossible to have political neutrality. Consumers can form a better judgement if they know the reporter's political stance, he added.

Chai-anan also called on the local press to be more innovative in their reporting, ensuring that complicated issues can be understood by the people.

Giving an example, he said coverage on the Shin Corp sell-off was extensive but not many people understood the political ramifications.