Six media organizations submitted an open letter to the chairman of the media reform steering committee of the National Reform Steering Assembly demanding review of a draft media bill which, they alleged, will pave the way for politicians and government officials to intervene with the media’s self-regulation control.
The six media organizations are the National Press Council, the Thai Journalists Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand, the Online News Providers Association and Thailand Cable TV Association.
The organizations said in a statement issued on Monday that the NRSA attempted to further amendments to the draft bill on the rights protection, ethical promotion and professional standards of media professionals in order to allow politicians and government officials to intervene with the self-regulation control of media agencies.
They cited a contentious provision in the amendments to allow a permanent secretary to sit on the so-called national media professional council which has the authority to register, issue and revoke permits of media professionals.
