Showing 1 - 10 of 76
Thaksin's comeback fuels media chaos
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/09/2024
» Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's return to the Thai political scene has sparked a frenzy across all media spectrums. Such a brouhaha is understandable. Thaksin is a political figure associated with multiple scandals, an ideal target for investigative journalists. Interestingly, this time around, the exposés are not coming from journos. Instead, they come from Thaksin's inner circle -- his close friends and former aides.
People power has won, for now
News, Published on 07/08/2024
» Sheikh Hasina could have left gracefully. Instead, Bangladesh's prime minister resigned and fled to neighbouring India, ending her 15-year-long rule as chaos has engulfed the nation. The army wasted no time stepping in to form an interim government, although what shape that will take is still unclear.
Blinken's diplomatic dance in China
Oped, Published on 01/05/2024
» US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China for whirlwind discussions with the People's Republic political grandees in Shanghai and Beijing with the hope of "stabilising the relationship" between both countries. So into the Beijing/Washington political turbulence, Mr Blinken flew to smooth the Sino-American political rivalry, especially over China's military assertiveness towards the South China Sea, Taiwan, the Ukraine war, and naturally two-way trade.
Some good news for freedom of speech
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 13/05/2023
» The World Press Freedom Day, concurrently May 3, was celebrated recently with a panel discussion at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, which provided a fresh opportunity to catch up with news, especially on Thailand. It was also an occasion to reflect on international developments concerning the shrinking space for the free flow of information ("info-inhibition") in various settings.
Media rights in focus
Oped, Editorial, Published on 03/05/2023
» Today marks World Press Freedom Day. The theme this year, according to Unesco, is: "Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights".
'I will be a journalist until the end'
Oped, Published on 06/01/2023
» 'The saying 'journalism is not a crime' does not work here. It's the opposite. We [journalists] are afraid of everything. We have to worry about everything," says Ma Khine, who has been in working in news for eight years now.
Riding the green wave
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 27/06/2022
» Only two weeks after decriminalising cannabis, Thailand is experiencing a green rush. Since June 9, when the legalisation of marijuana for home and commercial use took effect, almost 1 million people registered to grow it with food and drug officials, while more than 40 million have checked out the registration platform. There's a growing public interest in the cash crop -- though some farmers remain doubtful -- and it is paving the way for "cannabis journalism".
Reading between the digital lines
Oped, Published on 03/05/2022
» On this year's World Press Freedom Day -- which falls today -- it's clear that our current relationship with information has undergone a profound change from the norms of only a generation ago. According to the World Economic Forum, in 2020 the volume of content on the internet was 40 times higher than the number of stars in the observable universe. This figure has multiplied since. In a fast-paced and burgeoning digital landscape, the world now communicates readily across geographical borders; at the same time, it does so in increasingly mediated ways.
When fake news curbs go too far
Oped, Editorial, Published on 10/04/2022
» As Covid-19 pandemic restrictions ease and society gradually learns to live with the disease, Thailand is at a point where it must decide whether to usher in a sense of normalcy or continue enforcing regulations -- some of which are aimed at what the government sees as a different kind of malady.
Protecting Southeast Asia's media
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 03/11/2021
» There have been reports of attacks on journalists which cast a shadow of shame on the Southeast Asian region. Yesterday -- Nov 2 -- has also been designated as the International Day to end the impunity in relation to attacks on journalists.