NEWSPAPER BID REACTION: Outrage ‘a sign of maturity’

Published on September 17, 2005 - Journalists-turned-politicians say public won’t accept meddling in media. Journalists-turned-politicians said yesterday that the surge of public support for Matichon against the takeover bid by GMM Media signalled the maturing of Thai democracy. Thai Rak Thai party-list MP Suparb Kleekhajai said the people’s protest showed that democracy had advanced to the stage where people take an active interest in every social issue.

It was a lesson that no one can make sweeping changes without listening to society and caring for people’s feelings.

People rose up this time because they knew they had a voice.

The former journalist said a newspaper owner needed to gain the confidence of the people. Readers have a sense of belonging to the dailies they read, and they buy them out of trust, not just for the content. The case of iTV was a key ingredient in fostering distrust of capitalists who buy media companies.

The former station director for iTV said Shin Corp executives first told the staff they would not interfere with programming, but later they did.

Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr said it was a new phenomenon that people are opposed to outside infiltration or interference in the media. The takeover bid was the last straw so they moved to protect the media.

He said people began to realise that capitalists associated with the government were insincere.

“It wasn’t easy before today because people used to have strong trust in the prime minister. Their doubts have built up for more than four years, until this case of Matichon and the Bangkok Post. People then came to know what the true nature of the government is,” the former newspaper editor said.

What happened this week would make people reconsider the case of iTV. They would ask for a return of free television, making involvement in the media a nightmare for “dictator-capitalists”, he said.

Thai Rak Thai party-list MP Ladawan Wongsriwong said the people had the right to give their opinions. They should have even sent SMS messages to Matichon and Grammy executives to share their ideas on how to solve the conflict. The executives would have the chance to clarify their positions and show their sincerity. But, people turned against Grammy because Matichon executives and staff expressed alarm about media domination.

“If they [Matichon executives] had just stayed still, saying anybody with ethics could buy the shares, then people would not have come [to their defence]. Since they pleaded [for compassion], it was like a provocation, and people became aroused,” the former television journalist said.

She said solution to problems in society should depend on laws and regulations, not feelings or speculation.

Suparb was a journalist for many newspapers for 20 years, including Naew Na. He was the director of iTV before Shin Corp bought it.

Alongkorn was a reporter and editor for local and national newspapers such as Banmuang and Naew Na before entering politics 13 years ago.

Ladawan was a television journalist before entering the political arena. She was a government spokeswoman during former prime minister Anand Panyarachun’s administration.

Kornchanok Raksaseri
The Nation