Thai media reject allegations of unethical journalism practices
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the Thai Journalists Association (TJA), the Society for Online News Providers (SONP), and the National Union of Journalists Thailand (NUJT) have temporarily suspended relations with the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) over ethical concerns related to the reporting on the Thai-Cambodian border conflict.
The Thai media groups, in unison, rejected the CCJ's accusations that Thai media lacked ethics in their coverage, describing these claims as defamatory and unacceptable insults to their professionalism. The CCJ was specifically addressed in the statement.
The Thai media organisations have outlined three key demands for the CCJ:
- The CCJ is urged to stop interfering in Thai media’s internal affairs and focus instead on ethical monitoring of Cambodian news reporting free from manipulation.
- The CCJ is being asked to take concrete action against fake news and distorted information originating in Cambodia and spreading online.
- The CCJ is being called upon to fulfil its duty to rigorously examine ethical conduct within Cambodian media.
The TJA announced a temporary suspension of cooperation with the CCJ until the situation normalises, citing concerns that the CCJ behaves more like a government mouthpiece than an independent organization. Prior to this, the TJA and CCJ had a memorandum of understanding to foster cooperation, now paused due to the dispute.
The Thai media reiterated its commitment to ethical, impartial, and accurate reporting without inciting hatred, emphasizing their stance on professional standards while criticizing Cambodian disinformation. The statement urged the CCJ to take responsibility for ethical oversight and disinformation control within Cambodia.
Moreover, the statement calls on the CCJ to take tangible measures to address fake news and disinformation originating and spreading online from Cambodia. The Thai media also reiterated its commitment to ethical self-regulation.
The Thai media expressed a desire for peace in its reporting, pledging not to incite hatred between Thailand and Cambodia. Numerous instances of such disinformation have been noted, leading to the current situation. The TJA's decision to suspend relations is in response to the perceived lack of independence by the CCJ.
- Politics and general news collided as the Thai media groups publicly condemned the Club of Cambodian Journalists (CCJ) for their accusations, describing them as defamatory and unacceptable insults to the Thai media's professionalism.
- The Thai media organisations, committed to ethical, impartial, and accurate reporting, have called on the CCJ to take tangible measures to address and monitor misinformation originating in Cambodia, emphasizing the need for ethical oversight in both countries.
