News Selection, Media Roles, and Media Ethics in the Light of Digital Television News in Thailand

Abstract

Digitalisation influences media industry and business including news selection, media roles, and media ethics.  Shifts in consumer behaviour can be one of the most vital factors.  The study, therefore, targeted to examine news selection, media roles, and media ethics in the light of digital television news in Thailand.  Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with three key informants from Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS), Thairath TV, and Bangkok Broadcasting Television Channel (Channel 7).  The results revealed that these three media organisations shared their similarities in news selection by listening more on audience’s voices, media roles by training and skilling mass media persons to be responsible professionals, and media ethics.  A few differences were, nonetheless, found, especially in rule and regulations practiced.  In other words, whereas Thai PBS took into practice the Act of Thai Public Broadcasting Service, the rest of the digital television channels applied the professional code of ethics and standards of professional conduct into consideration.  The ultimate goal of this paper is to encourage media persons to profoundly re-think their professional practices and professional codes of ethics while they are living and transforming themselves into the digital age.