Political Economy of Media Development and Management of the Media in Bangkok

This study is important due to the crucial role of media in the dissemination of information, especially in emerging economies, such as Thailand. It adds in publishing information among the people in the community and the country. The research focuses on the development and management of the media industry. The study employed the qualitative research method, using interviews with media stakeholders, which were key informants of the research. Key informants were given in-depth face-to-face interviews. The research used the primary data of a total thirteen respondents from three groups: news producers, media regulation bodies and academic readers.
The research findings showed that news coverage should be formulated along the lines of CSR and ethical codes. This means the development of the media in line with the changing society in order to be more responsible towards society and regulation should include breaking up of the media monopoly so that a more competitive environment could be built. The media organizations must set their strategy and mission to be more involved in the society and take more responsibility for the country. The constitution should clearly state the need for a service mindset and the need for ethical behaviour in all organizations, especially public organizations. Additionally, taking responsibility in the society should be for everyone and in all organizations in terms of CSR. NBTC is an important media organization but they have no authority to actually regulate the media. NBTC should be the experts from the outside of Parliament, or who have not been stakeholders in the media industry. Regarding the development and management of media in the long term, the bureaucratic reform should focus on increasing good governance and ethics, along with the national reform. Finally, the government should develop and manage the existing media regulation bodies to be more effective in producing and presenting news.