Responsibility is the biggest story

I have been told repeatedly that the purpose of media is to represent fact. Just represent something? Are there any media moguls and news reporters who really put themselves into the news until everything comes to a good and acceptable conclusion. As far as I am concerned, I only see mere news report and in the course of my special interest in news, I have never seen any TV channels, newspapers and to name but a few that do follow up events or situations. Take the explosion of the Longan Processing Factory in Sanpathong District, for example. You might know this event well and I personally have long known the situation extremely well as my house was affected or collapsed by the explosion of the factory. Most newspapers reported that there was the explosion of a factory and the government under Mr Chuan Leekpai’s administration helped the villagers already. At that time I couldn’t stifle my laughter with sadness because no one knew the fact, even news reporters! Local political corruption was widespread throughout the district. 3% of donated money was wanted (stolen) by many blood suckers. There were only a few times that the explosion was reported through newspapers and TV channels. News never represents the conclusion of the event, not to mention the corruption. Thus, I think that media must join hands with responsibility.
Somchai Thamuang 490132057

Have you ever felt like some news is being reported too much? Have you ever felt like you have heard or read this news five or ten times already? Have you ever felt like you don’t want to hear or see it anymore but it still exist? I have experienced all this feeling recently when the “Jatukarm-Ramathep” amulet began to produce and when Pharadorn engaged to Natalie.
These are the cases of “Information Bombardment” in Thailand. In Jatukarm case, we have heard news about every event involve with the Amulet from every channel of media in Thailand. And some of that event, I think, was so insignificant. For example, a man ‘wears Jatukarm amulet’ was shot and wounded by unknown gunman. This was reported in the front page of a local newspaper. If he didn’t wear the amulet, will this news be printed on the front page? The other case is Paradon and Natalie. The news of their engagement has been reported over and over again in every channel in Thailand. At the day this information was used to bombard peoples of Thailand, we heard and saw their names everywhere. What is so significant about their engagement? Yes, both of them are famous but why media reported this news as if this is a global issue. What were these repetition means? Does media tried to tell us that these are the most significant events ever happened in Thailand? My fear is that when we have experience something frequently, intentionally or not, that thing might imprinted in our head subconsciously and become more importance in our perception.

"Sexual victimization through Internet"

With the advancement in computer and telecommunication technology, people were allowed to reach out to new sources of knowledge and cultural experiences. Also, it is leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and harm by computer-sex offenders. In addition, there are individuals who attempt to sexually exploit people especially children through Internet using.

Particularly, Chat rooms and E-mail programs where people can reveal information about themselves are considered as the most dangerous places on the Internet, that also provided many risks to lead people to sexual victimization and it became the Internet sex crime. Additionally, there are two main types of Internet sexual risks including Sexual Solicitation and Unwanted Exposure to Sexual Images.

Sexual Solicitation, most in chat rooms there are individuals who gradually seduce their targets through the use of attention, affection, kindness and even gifts. These individuals like to devote amount of time, money and energy in this process. They listen to and emphasize with the problem of victims. Also, they will be aware of the lastest music and hobbies and interests of victims. Then, these individuals attempt to gradually lower victim's inhibitions by slowly introducing sexual context and content into their conversation.

Another risk is Unwanted Exposure to Sexual Images or Pornography. This problem is primarily about young people motivated to actively seek out pornography. Especially, most youths had no negative reactions to their unwanted exposure, only one quater said they were very or extremely upset. Besides, some offenders primarily collect and trade sexual images, while others seek face-to-face meeting with victims via on-line contacts. Also, sex offenders often supply their potential victims with pornography as means of opening sexual discussion and for seduction.

Thus, it is very important to realize that we can be indirectly victimized through conversation such as "chat" as well as the transfer of sexually explicit information and material. We can not avoid or stop using the Internet. We should be careful while using Internet. The Internet users should be aware of the danger and think of the safety first.

"Internet is a great our knowledge's treasure but provide us many dangers in the same time"


Sources :

http://www.safekids.com/child_safety.htm
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm
http://www.uhn.edu./news/news_releases/2001/june/em_20010619in


By Nanny "Such a pretty girl"

Films' censorship in Thailand

Have you ever felt like me? It is very annoying when the censor (unclear or blurry picture) appears on the film or some scenes of the film are cut. An official government body decides on the censorships of all films in Thailand, regard to suitability for children and/or adults in terms of issues such as sex, violence and profanity. But actually, they interrupt the moods of viewers.

On the contrary, in many countries, there are films rating instead of the censor or the scene cutting. They help people decide whether a movie is suitable for themselves and/or their children. Also, in some jurisdictions a rating may impose on movie theathers the legal obligation of refusing the entrance of children or minors to the movie. The ratings consist of

G - General Audiences
All ages admitted.

PG - Parental guidance suggested
Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG-13 - Parents strongly cautioned
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

R - Restricted
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

NC-17
No one 17 and under admitted.

If a film has not been submitted for a rating, the label NR (Not Rated) is often used.

From newspapers and TV programs, It is found that there are too much censors and scene cuttings on many films which showed in Thailand. Actually,they interrupt the smoothness of the films and the viewers’ understanding via the storylines. Besides, they obstruct, not only the productions of movie producers such as when the producers make the films, they will lose so much money more because the films are always cut or don’t pass the censorship, so they have to fix them again and again, but also obstruct the development of Thai movies; the producers are disheartened to produce the films, because there are many processes and rules in order to pass the censorship.

For me, the censor always break my pleasance in watching movies and mess my eyes. I think that it couldn’t help anything, because the children still can guess or know what is exactly in the censored scene.

Do you think that now it’s time for having film rating in Thailand? and Do you prefer film rating, or censor and scene cutting?

posted by Pantitra May 490132050

Women in the News

Do you ever notice women’s news on television or in newspapers? Do you often see the news about women? Good or bad? What about language in the news?

In English language, gender is encoded both in language used by women. For example:

· The use of male expressions to include reference to females, e.g. ‘man’, ‘chairman’ or ‘spokesman’….
· The use of marked expressions that contain words to refer to females implies irregularity, e.g. ‘poetess’, ‘lady doctor’…..
· The choice between ‘Mrs.’ and ‘Miss’. These two words force a woman to declare her marital status.

This comes that women are much less often presented as serious speakers in newspapers, on radio and television.

Besides the language, the way the news is presented between man and woman is different. It’s quite obvious in the Thai media. The news about women is less presented, e.g. the front page of newspapers. Most of the news is mostly about men such as the news about the prime minister, businessmen, actors etc. It shows that men are more important, powerful and successful than women.

Whenever there is women’s news, most of the news presented is quite bad such as a high school student was raped. A wife was killed by her husband. A girl was beaten brutally by her father. The news shows that women are powerless, helpless and they sometimes are victims of men.

So the media tries to frame people in the society about the role of man and woman and the power between man and woman. Framed as being less powerful than men by the media, women don’t have equal rights like men; e.g. the positions in the Thai government. We haven’t seen a woman who can be a minister in Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Justice. Can a woman be the prime minister of Thailand?

By Phornthip OY No. 049

Information is power,but knowing how to manage information is more powerful

Whether or not you are a keen reader, you must know how to play with information. Nowadays we are bombarded with myriad kinds of information. Technologies are also creeping into every corner of our world. Information which is a close friend of the state-of-the-art technologies is like a strong wave that is ready to befriend us or to be our enemies in disguise. Most of us usually get information through newspapers, radio, T.V., the Net and the like, but how many of us can grasp the gist ,analyze and know both good and bad sides of the information we get. We may sometimes be absorbed in useless information without knowing being. We might be cheated, misunderstood and led to the mistaken belief that , through true and biased information, everything is rightful..
It is, nevertheless, certain that getting more information means we are getting more knowledge. But knowledge will be called true knowledge if it is thoroughly analyzed and thought twice before receiving it. Please be careful and always keep pace with new information without heedlessness.
Getting new information is similar to welcoming a new friend of ours into our house. We don’t know whether our new friend can be trusted or not .However, As far as information is concerned, it is a must for us to check and recheck that information until everything is acceptable. Seeing is believing, right?

Somchai Thamuang

Killing people...Virtually?

No one can deny that we human have an instinct of fighting and killing. But in the real world such actions are restricted by morality. Though violent act is immoral but sometime can give us a pleasure. So, by an infinite imagination of man, some computer programmers have created virtual reality world – a world of electronic game. Electronic games are new breed of media - a media that have interaction with consumers. In the world of electronic games, player can be anyone that they dream to be – an elite soldier combating villains, a general commanding an army of the world or an adventurer seeking for revenge in a fantasy world.

But for someone who immerses themselves in this world, is it possible that the basic instinct will be stimulated… and lead to aggressiveness.

---On 2 February 2006, a so called Neo-Nazi “Jacob Robida” attacked patrons in a gay bar with hatchet and 9mm pistol and murdered a police officer during his escape. John Bruce “Jack” Thompson, an American attorney who fights against violent and obscenity in entertainment industry claimed that his crime was motivated by a violent video game called “Grand Theft Auto – vice city”.---

Jack and Jacob

The crime was committed – Who or What is to blame? Did the video game is a source of his violent act or it is the spreading of immorality that made him be a murderer. Is it possible that he was an ordinary man who had been motivated by violent in the game? Or he was already made criminal before he loved to play the game?

This is only one of the cases that was claimed to be motivated by video games.
The most important thing in this moment is to identify the true source of growing aggressiveness in some computer game players. To find out if the violent in virtual world really motivated people to commit a violent act in real world. Or the lack of discipline and conscience that let the player be consumed by the virtual world.
What do you think?

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_and_the_Jacob_Robida_murders
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_D._Robida
Pictures:
http://www.gamespot.com/
http://www.gamerankings.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_D._Robida
http://www.wikitruth.info/index.php?title=Uncensored:Jack_Thompson_ (attorney)