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Kavi Chongkittavorn is deputy group editor of the Bangkok-based Nation newspaper and an outspoken defender of press freedom in Thailand. He talked with Emma Larkin about press freedom in Thailand. Question: Given recent events in Thailand—such as the removal of Veera Prateepchaikul from the Bangkok Post and the resignation of Rungruang Preechakul from the Siam Rath Weekly News—are you worried about the future of media freedom in Thailand? Answer: I am extremely concerned about the recent editorial interference because it shows that the powers-that-be want to muzzle the press as much as possible. After all, this is an election year. The government has been facing a series of high-profile crises, such as the situation in the south and the bird flu, so it wants to ensure that the media are on its side. Q: What do you think are the key threats to media freedom in Thailand? A: First, is the government’s continued attempt to demonize the media and destroy its credibility. Second, is the government’s effort to privatize issues related to freedom of expression. In the case of the Bangkok Post and Siam Rath, the government exerted pressure on the editorial departments. Their publishers, however, feared retaliation and said that the transfer and resignation of those editors were carried out as matters of internal adjustment. Q: When did these problems first arise? A: I think nobody has wanted to say that the Thai media have faced this situation since the economic crisis in 1997. The media have yet to recover from the economic meltdown and, since then, they have been very vulnerable to outside interference. Q: How has the government influenced the media? Through intimidation, or coercion? A: The government has used cooptation through economic incentives, mainly advertising in various forms and control of access to information. Friendly media get more advertisements from state enterprises as well as from companies affiliated with the [Thai Prime Minister] Thaksin [Shinawatra] family. Hostile media are not afforded the same access to information as the pro-government media. Q: Industry Minister Suriya Rungrue-angkit’s family now owns almost 20 per cent of the shares in The Nation newspaper. Are you at all concerned for the future of the newspaper and its independence from government interference? A: I am concerned with the purchase of shares in The Nation. Cousins of Suriya have bought at least 20 per cent, I believe. They said it was an investment. I hope it will stay that way. At the moment, they have not sought any seat on the board of directors. If they ask for one, the independence of the editorial department of The Nation would be jeopardized. For the time being, the editorial department is independent. Q: One result of a threatened media community is what you have called "cheerleading," in which media outlets not only cut back on stories critical of the government but end up promoting government actions. Do you see this as becoming a big problem for the Thai media? A: It is a big problem. In the past, there used to be a media model known as the "nation-building" model, in which the media had to play a part in supporting the government’s activities or development policies. However, what has happened in Thailand in the past three years has gone beyond the acceptable norm. The pro-government media, which benefit from the government’s incentives, have become cheerleaders and speak on behalf of the government and the cabinet leaders. The Thai media have turned from watchdogs into lapdogs in three years because of the economic imperatives. Media outlets still struggle to make ends meet and the government and politicians, as well as vested-interest groups, know that so they want to control the media while the media are weak and open to external funding and influence. Q: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has accused the Thai media of being inaccurate and sensationalist. Is this true? A: He always blames the media for inaccuracy and sensationalism even though the media often quote him verbatim. In his view, the media should serve the government, especially him. If the media do not do this, they will be accused of inaccuracy and sensationalism. Q: Have you seen levels of professionalism in Thai journalism increasing or decreasing over recent years? A: The level of professionalism has, of course, been decreasing because journalists have been controlled by their new owners and self-serving editorial policies. Those who can not handle this new trend have had to leave journalism altogether. Some journalists practice "yellow journalism" while others continue to do their jobs professionally, trying to make ends meet.