- By Tammy, Thai Intel’s humanity journalist
If you follow Nation Group, which Thai Intel does not follow it directly but can not escape it as Thai Intel follow news aggregate sites like EIN News, you know Nation Group is not a neutral media.
The fact is, about 90% of the “Highly Critical” news about Thailand and Yingluck, at least on EIN News-can be traced back to the Nation Group. Everyday, it seems, the Nation Group, is cooking up another cutting-edge angle to attack Yingluck and the government.
- A Critical Nation Group?
Thai Intel would not mention Nation Group, if this “Highly Critical” nature, is the operational standard at the Nation Group. But the problem is, if you were to do Google search of old Nation Group reports during the Democrat Party of Abhisit governing of Thailand-you will see wording like, quote: “Excellent” all the time. What Thai Intel means, is that for the Nation Group, with Abhisit administration, it is “Abhisit is excellent at this, Abhisit is excellent at that.”
All of the above, is not to say that the Nation group lacks standard. Off course, the Nation Group throws below the belt and dirty punches at Yingluck all the time and again, is pro-Abhisit, but that still does not mean the Nation Group has no standard.
The standard at the Nation Group, is just simple. As Thanong, the iconic editor at the Nation Group says all the time, that quote: “I do not believe in democracy, liberty, justice or human rights.”
- Nation Group’s Standard?
And in fact, that is the one single standard, that have made Yingluck the enemy of the Nation Group-and the Nation Group, being pro-Abhisit. What the Nation Group believes in, is the concept of “Thai Style Democracy” and the “Rule of the Good People.” These concepts are, off course, nothing but a twist to an “Authoritarian Dictatorship” structure. There is nothing unique Thai here. So one must wonder, how does the Nation Group, propagates a dictatorial system, in these days and age?
But all of the above is just the fact of the matter-that can not be disputed or argued with.
But Thai Intel is curious, how long will the Nation Group maintain that “Dictatoral” push of the editorial department over the media in its power, like Bangkok Biz News, Kom Chut Lukd, and including its Thai TV programing, its ASEAN TV station, its radio and its affiliation with the ASEAN news organization?
- Nation Group’s Poor Performance?
I recently did an audit of how well the newspapers are doing in Thailand, and all the data points to Bangkok Post, since the paper re-aligned itself to be neutral, is out doing the Nation Group, by leaps and bounds. We are talking about eight Bangkok Post newspaper sold for every Nation newspaper sold. It was not always that way for Bangkok Post. Under the old Bangkok Post, which took a position similar to Nation Group’s anti-democracy position, the Bangkok Post subscription stagnated for years and years.
But “Yes” Thai Intel understands, that a news group, should be independent from its business operations. And here, the Nation group must be commended, for taking an editorial position that is counter-productive to its business interest.
However, sales figure, is in itself, like an opinion poll of the Thais. Clearly, if anything, news groups that have turned neutral, are doing exceptionally well business wise. What that means, is that the Thai people in general, have turned neutral-if the Bangkok Post and Matichon Group is to be an indicator.
Thus in the final analysis, the argument about the Nation Group, is really about the role of news media.
- Role of Nation Group?
The question is, are news media supposed to be the opinion leader of society, like pushing its editorial position on society? Or are media group, supposed to serve the public, by supporting public positions? Or both?
Unfortunately, for the Nation Group, the public is not even one tenth as anti-Yingluck and the government as the Nation Group is-but in fact, is very supportive of her.
- An Accountable Nation Group?
And Yingluck is backed by the recent election, in a landslide victory against Abhisit. Who elected the Nation Group? The picture of Yoon, Nation Group’s editor in chief and Abhisit, lounging on the beach drinking, relaxing and partying together says it all. And so the Nation Group treats Abhisit, as if Abhisit is still Thailand’s prime minister. One must really ask, what is the Nation Group think it is doing?
Have Thailand not just undergone a brief civil war, precisely because of the thinking along the line of the Nation Group?
How many more civil wars does Thailand need to go through, before the Nation Group realizes, that the majority of Thais wants democracy, liberty, justice and human rights? Perhaps, the days left for the “Thai Style Democracy” and “The Rule of the Good People” are numbered. And perhaps the days left of the Nation Group is also numbered.
Related articles
- Public Relations Analysis: Kittirat hits a road-block that have made his political party a success story (with Bangkok Post) (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Political Analysis: 4) Abhisit visits flood hit Thai media to beef-up relations & talks of a troubled Thai people (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Media Analysis: Yingluck try to get across to Thai press, but observers say “Stay Away from Abhisit’s Mistake” (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Journalism: (9) Abhisit wants “Equal” media time to off-set Yingluck’s increased media exposure (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Thai Media Factoids Analysis: From Nation’s Abhisit the excellence to Yingluck’s elevation expose (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Yellow Shirts Anslysis: Yellow Shirts & English “From Thailand never colonized to bitching at Yingluck’s English” (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Shinawatra Family Analysis: 2) Uproar over Taksin amnesty & Taksin winning every Thai election in the past 10 years (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Media Analysis: “Warning Statement” Thai media should give on Thai flood to lessen readers confusion (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Political Analysis: Thailand enters the “Cold War” period & Taksin’s “Merchants of Conflict” (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Natural Disaster: 4) Yingluck, Abhisit, Prayuth & Sukhumpanh shows “Raw Emotion & Spirit” (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- ASEAN Media: Indonesia touts ASEAN’s best “Fourth Estate” as Thai media dips into “Dead Fish Boy Predictions” (with Jakarta Post) (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Thainess: 2) Thai military’s Joint Chief of Staff to “Reject” World Court rulings not in Thailand’s favor (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Yelllow Shirts Analysis” Yellow Shitrs invoke “Rule of Law” in anti-Taksin move “Improvement or Hypocrisy?” (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Journalism: (14) Yingluck might corrupt a US$30 million deal says “Nation Group” based on “Un-named Observer” (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
Leave a Comment
No comments yet.
