BANGKOK – Citing positive response from recent 24-hour coverage of the panda cub born at the Chiang Mai Zoo, the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) has agreed to focus all television and print media for the rest of the year on “colorful stories from the Thai animal kingdom.”
In a statement released to itself yesterday, the group said it had unanimously agreed to stop reporting on human affairs in favor of “feature stories from the lovable, politically-neutral world of animals.”
According to TJA president Prasong Lertrattanavisut, the new policy will have the added benefit of helping the organization to “avoid sowing the seeds of political discontent and creating division in society.”
The association has set down the following guidelines for the rest of 2009:
1) Every story must feature an animal as its focus, preferably an animal that is a national symbol or in need of rescue.
2) Human beings can be present in the story, but only if they are admiring, providing medical aid, or showing their compassion for the featured animal.
3) Promotion of tourism and revenue that might be created by the animal shall be encouraged.
4) Any story about Thongdaeng, HM the King’s copper-colored bitch mutt, or Thongdaeng’s offspring must lead the broadcast or be put at the top of the page.
As soon as the statement was released, scores of Thai media rushed to a beach in Trang province where several endangered turtles were hatching. Channel 7 provided a live feed of the 6-hour event, while provincial officials and volunteers gathered to collect debris from the sand and water. Later reports that several hundred sea horses were caught in a fisherman’s net turned out to be false.
TJA President Prasong defended the exclusive coverage of animals.
“Somewhere out there, even as we speak, there is an elephant in distress,” he said. “As Thai journalists, it’s our first responsibility to find it and film it until it either dies or becomes boring to the public, in which case we will move on to the next animal.”
Prasong claimed that stories about the current economic meltdown, political crisis, rising unemployment and current wave of violent crime would just add insult to the country’s injury.
“Humans are the lowest,” he said. “I mean, did you see the way [panda mother] Lin Hui cuddled that little narak cub? If that can’t teach us something, what can?”
