SANITSUDA EKACHAI
Former editorial pages editor
Three decades is a long time for anyone to work at one same place. I did just that at the Bangkok Post and I never regretted a moment of it.
For a long time, journalism in Thailand was considered an insecure, low-paid job. And a dangerous one too; the country was under political instability and successive military dictatorships for most of the time after World War II.
But things quickly changed when Thailand started to say no to military dictatorship and when its emerging democracy in the 70s was followed by economic boom in the 80s. The mass media industry prospered like never before.
It was an interesting time. Thai-style democracy thrived on unregulated capitalism, centralised bureaucracy and traditional social hierarchies, bringing with it new challenges for the mass media.
The Bangkok Post broke new ground with the launch of Outlook, the country’s first feature section in Thai newspapers. I am very proud I was part of it from the beginning.
Under the mentorship of Payom Valaiphatchra, Outlook not only recorded the pulse of Bangkok’s fine living but also featured stories of ordinary people’s struggles against top-down development that destroyed the environment and livelihoods.
Far from being a women’s section, it featured a wide range of social issues such as women’s rights, gender equality, religion and the environment. Equally important, if not more, was the good news — inspiring stories about people across the social strata who were changing society in their own different ways.
Outlook closed in 2011 and was given a new, modern look as the Life section at a time when print journalism was struggling with an avalanche of change that hit all news organisations across the globe hard in a pocket.
What is the successful business model for news organisations when social media has become a popular, more timely and free source of news, information and opinions? There are still no definite answers.
For Thailand, fiercely divisive politics and the return of military dictatorship have made the challenge for print journalism even more daunting.
When my retirement came at the end of 2015, print journalism was already considered a sunset industry, forcing some other newspapers to invest in television broadcasting as a new source of income. Under intense competition, many news organisations — print and electronic — still rely on the same old technique of sensationalism to win people’s ever shorter attention span.
Despite political pressure and the uncertain business environment, I watch with pride the determination of my former colleagues to continue to tell it like it is, to be true to the readers — and themselves.
Journalism is not just about news and information. Professional fairness and neutrality are not just about giving equal news space to opposing sides. Journalism is about moral responsibility to expose problems, to question conventional assumptions and the powers-that-be, to give a voice to the oppressed, to make society a better place.
Information technology is changing the way people consume news and information, but public expectation of media responsibility remains the same. The real danger of journalism comes when the news media betrays or falls short of public trust. And when journalism loses its heart.
New challenges lie ahead. But if the old spirit to strive for meaningful journalism is still alive and well, I am sure the Bang
kok Post will continue to groom new generations of journalists to meet whatever challenges lie ahead and to feel proud, as I do, to be part of the efforts to make a difference.