Factoids: Journalism factoids from Abhisit the excellence to Yingluck’s elevator expose

/ September 25, 2011
  • By Tammy, Thai Intel’s humanity journalist

News: Bangkok Post wrote long and hard on lese majeste and then reports on Chiranouch case. For a long time mainstream media, like the Bangkok Post, have not touch on the issue of lese majeste. But the Bangkok Post broke the silence, in a much talked about in Bangkok article on lese majeste. Then believe it or not, Bangkok Post even has an up-date on the Chiranouch lese majeste case.

Analysis: Political Prisoners Thailand blog, simply calls this a major break-through. However, we will have to see how long will the Bangkok Post continue on this course-because the pressure against the Bangkok Post, must be mountainous.

  • Yingluck and Radio

News: Yingluck choose to address the country, in her weekly news address, through radio and not television. Well, Taksin started the Thai tradition of meeting the Thai people every week, with a television program. Then Abhisit did the same thing. And it was expected that Yingluck will do the same. But the rating of the TV show of Thai prime minister meeting the country, have been low-with Abhisit’s program, among the least watch in Thailand with polls saying most Thais do not watch it at all.

Analysis: Apparently, Yingluck does not want to make the same mistake, and spend time and lock in her time from the program, and have choose radio for greater flexibility. But it could also be that Yingluck is worry about being too overly exposed and going on record with her ideas, with the Democrat Party-trying to corner her on every single action and word.

  • Nation Group, Abhisit and the Asian Region

News: A group of about 20 journalist, belonging to news outlets throughout Asia, part of a coalition called the Asian News Network (ANN) just met in Thailand, where according to the website, Nations Group, Pana, is the president. Nation is off course, if one were to go back, is a Thai media that often called every move by Abhisit, Thailand’s former prime minister, as being an “Excellent Move” and reports on every move by Abhisit’s competitors, in a negative light. In fact, the Nation group hates Yingluck so much, it would photoshop Yingluck picture to make her look ugly, and put it on the front page-without any context, caption or relation to the reports in the paper.

Analysis: It is interesting to see if journalist at ANN, have caught on to this blatant taking of sides in Nation’s reporting and if they have, why is the agency remaining quiet on the matter. And if they are ot voicing an objection, perhaps ANA is a network of similar un-balance group of news outlets in their respected countries.

  • Nuling and A Media Outlet

News: Nuling, Red Shirts leader, starting an mobile phone based news organization. Nuling, the new breed Red Shirts leader, have Twittered that he is setting up of a news outlet especially targeted to mobile phone through SMS messages. Nuling also have been Twittering that he plans to target his activity more to the middle-class.

Analysis: It will be interesting how Nuling, will be able to move outside the box, being that most of his followers are already middle-class Red Shirts, and reach a new group of middle-clss that are not Red Shirts. Nuling, however, has a reputation of think out-side the box and very creative.

  • Traditional Media and Variety

News: Traditional media, namely newspaper, reports on events in Thailand, greatly differ from one newspaper to another, in recent weeks. It used to be that Thai newspaper have this crowding of news-meaning, their main news for the day, is often similar-covering the same issue. However, recently, the major reports on the front page of newspaper, have been greatly diverse in recent weeks.

Analysis: It could be that the Amart grip of Thai newspapers, through a centrally controlled high ranking Amart, who have traditionally pulled the strings with Thai newspapers have weakened or it could indicate a deliberate policy by the newspapers to differentiate themselves from the others. What ever the cause, it could also indicate a power shift in the newspapers from reporters, who traditionally share and coordinate their news, to editors.

  • Channel 7 and A Pro-Abhisit Journalist

News: Controversial Channel 7 journalist gone quiet. A controversial TV Channel 7 journalist, who typically favors the Democrat Party, to even writing favorable books about Abhisit and dislike Pheu Thai Party-and will go on attack on Yingluck-have somehow, disappeared from the scene. Her type of journalism so much out-raged the Red Shirts, she was greatly criticized on Facebook-to the point that she lodge a complaint with police, but the police are perplexed since on Facebook, there were no overt threat.

Analysis: After her behavior, of favoring Abhisit and against Yingluck were exposed, a great deal of background on her was exposed. She finally admitted that she likes Abhisit, but that it did not impact her journalism work. However, from before, when she was extremely aggressive in going after Yingluck, apparently, she had quiet down-either forced by Channel 7 or it is voluntary.

  • Yingluck and a Viral Video

News: Yingluck was caught laughing in dismay on elevator by a video camera-and it went viral on the intenet. After wading through a big crowd, including supporters and journalist, fighting to greet and question her, at the Pheu Thai Party, Yingluck was video inside the elevators, moments after, in a much talked about in Bangkok, of her laughing in great humor and dismay of what occurred.

Analysis: If you like Yingluck this is a must watch video, because normally she is already cute, but her humorous state, is even more cute. But if you hate Yingluck, also watch this, because it could indicate how she feels about the media, fighting for news from her, in general.

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