A survivor in the cauldron of the media
Being small, agile and adaptable is helping one newspaper owner overcome the print sector’s troubles, writes Nauvarat Suksamran
The fierce competition from online media which puts the world’s news at our fingertips, mostly for free, has devastated the print industry, pushing it ever deeper into the financial abyss and forcing newspaper journalists, especially freelancers, to look for new revenue sources.
Even though there may be a lot of uncertainty about the future of newspapers, Jakkrit Waewkraihong, editor and owner of Tratbased Prachamati newspaper, and his family will continue to print their newspaper as they have for several decades.
As Reporters Day was marked on March 5, the Waewkraihongs are a living example of a journalist family motivated by the drive to remain in the news business amid challenges and hardship.
Mr Jakkrit, a resident of Nakhon Sawan, launched his career in journalism in 1990 when he was persuaded to work for a local newspaper in Trat, called Trat News, by its owner Pol Lt Prachum Waiyasusri, his uncle who was at the time chair of the Democrat Party in the province.
“When I was a child I never dreamed I would become a reporter because I always wanted to be a scientist,” he said.
“I earned a bachelor’s degree in science. However, I finally had a chance to hone my journalism skills from my first workplace in my hometown before rising to Trat News editor.”
Mr Jakkrit first worked in a shop selling electrical appliances owned by a public relations officer of the Provincial Chamber of Commerce.
“He [his uncle] encouraged me to report for a living,” Mr Jakkrit said.
At Trat News, besides his duties as an editor, Mr Jakkrit took care of every aspect of editorial and office operations, except seeking sponsorship as this was already coming from the Democrat Party.
Mr Jakkrit recalled the old days of 30 years ago when the old style of printing, letterpress, was still around even as the newspaper world turned to computer production.
He would read and edit every bit of copy himself by placing each column on a newspaper template while his wife, Yanee Waewkraihong, would be busy with typewriting out the columns.
It wasn’t long before Mr Jakkrit quit Trat News and launched his own newspaper business. The editor’s salary was just not enough for him and his family.
He also was in conflict with the financial backers of Trat News over editorial policy and the direction in which the newspaper was heading.
Disenchanted that journalistic principles were playing second fiddle to the economic demands for profit, he mobilised all the financial resources he could to start up his own newspaper called Prachamati. It launched on June 28, 1992, riding high on the founder’s determination not to rely on financiers.
Two years after the launch of Prachamati, his wife gave birth to their fifth child, a baby boy. As the newspaper was a family business, all of his children have been brought up to be inspired by the print media, which will provide them with a job in the future.
Mr Jakkrit figured the only way to avoid having to depend on financiers was to augment financial mobility through increased revenue streams. He changed his business strategy by making money from other sources such as selling his local news to leading media outlets in the city and moonlighting as a stringer for established newspaper and broadcasting labels of the likes of the Bangkok Post, Matichon, Khaosod, Manager
and Channel 7.
For local newspapers, the major revenue comes from the sale of lottery result leaflets inserted in newspapers on the 1st and 16th of every month. On these two days, his children and their friends help to sell Prachamati.
Sometimes, Mr Jakkrit’s family members chip in on the production side by laying out the pages because the paper can afford only minimal staff who endure a heavy workload.
In the process, his children have slowly learned the ropes and absorbed the skills of newspaper production techniques, as well as being reporters and page designers. Over the years Mr Jakkrit has re-shaped the concept of Prachamati to offer investigative news reports as a selling point.
The paper has focused on digging into abuse of state power by keeping state officials in check. The seasoned editor said he and his family have always clung to the belief that the duty of the media is to reveal the truth.
He said the media motto of revealing the truth is timeless, but also presents a cause for concern. His family has received threats from local influential figures upset by his news reports. Many people have warned Mr Jakkrit that the truth never dies but the truth can jeopardise the lives of those who expose it.
Despite the potential peril, Mr Jakkrit’s family insists that journalists should not bow their heads to anyone, or hang them in shame.
“When our family has a meal together, I usually take a moment to relate my working experience as a journalist to my children.
“I tell them about our problems and the hardships that come with the job, especially when we had to survive without financial support from local businessmen or by taking bribes.”
Mr Jakkrit, who has three sons and two daughters, said his eldest son, nicknamed Ball, who graduated from Trat Technical College, decided during his years in college to help the family business by working the night shift as a cameraman taking pictures and recording news videos.
In order to survive the cut-throat competition among news outlets in Trat, Prachamati also produces news clips for cable TV with Mr Jakkrit as a news anchor.
However, after the law banned people without a news anchor licence from reading news on air, Mr Jakkrit needed to find some one suitably qualified, even though it would be expensive.
Poupae, his daughter who is now studying journalism at Bangkok University, stepped in as she is a qualified news anchor, saving the family thousands of baht a month.
“My wife and my five children also have part in news clip production. I read news content with my wife as a sound recorder. As our children have grown up, they have helped to relieve us of some of the responsibilities,” Mr Jakkrit said.
Also, Ball has taken on the job of developing Prachamati’s website and social media
When our family has a meal together, I usually take a moment to relate my working experience as a journalist to my children. JAKKRIT WAEWKRAIHONG EDITOR AND OWNER OF PRACHAMATI NEWSPAPER
pages featuring online news contents. His work is testament to the need for conventional media practitioners, including newspaper journalists, to be adaptable to changes in the news industry.
Today, the Waewkraihong family’s two other sons and a daughter work for both local and national news agencies.
“I own the local media outlet, the newspaper, cable TV and website and run social media pages. I also work as a reporter for many newspapers and TV channels, earning us enough income,” he added.