The state-appointed media-reform committee plans to sound out industry professionals and the public in a bid to complete its report for the premier within three months.
"Hearing viewpoints from all sides will help improve the efficiency and quality of the information gathered. We must feel confident what we're doing will not lead the country in a worse direction," Assoc Prof Yubol Benjarongkit, dean of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Communication Arts and chairwoman of the committee, said yesterday.
The prime minister has suggested her panel also work with academics and media groups, she said.
It will join with media groups in gathering opinions from media practitioners, including reporters, editors, columnists, television producers and news analysts, about how to reform the industry.
Teams of post-graduate students will be sent out to conduct surveys on communities about problems regarding the media and the improvements they want. Opinions will be encouraged from online social networks and netizens in general.
Yubol said all kinds of media, both past and present, have faced direct and indirect intervention. "To solve the problem, a structure must be created to ensure that state and private media are immune from outside pressure and interference," she said.
The reform panel will take into consideration studies, such as one conducted by the Thailand Development Research Institute about media intervention and another one by Varakorn Samakoses on media reform.
The prime minister wants the proposals completed this year, Yubol said.
"We plan to finish our work within three months, but that also depends on cooperation from all sides. So far, we've received good responses from many parties," she said.