The Situation of Media in Thailand
Free media is one of the pillars of democracy. Media spreads information and in that way keeps the public updated of important ongoing events. Independent media has a role of a watchdog too, making sure decisions are really made in a sufficient democratic way. An other important property of media is that it offers a public arena where two-way communication between citizens and officials can take place, for instance many newspapers around the world offer a possibility like that.
To be able to fulfil this task media has to be independent and free but also accountable and ethical. Its position should be secured by law and should not be subject to political or otherwise opportunistic leadership /9/. As we will soon see it is utterly important that all of the above criteria are fulfilled to have a really trust-worthy medium.