Five media organisations yesterday decided to push media owners to sign a memorandum of understanding regarding a code of conduct after news outlets came under attack for unethical practices related to the coverage of actor Thridsadee “Por” Sahawong’s illness and death.

Images of frenzied paparazzi during Thridsadee’s funeral have gone viral in social media, eliciting a barrage of criticism regarding poor media behaviour. The actor died this month of complications related to dengue haemorrhagic fever.

The incident prompted five media organisations to take action to prevent a crisis of faith in the media.

They include the Thai Journalists Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalist Association, the National Press Council of Thailand, the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand and the Society Online News Providers.

The organisations assigned Banyong Suwannapong, the chairman of a committee on professional media ethics, to gather and implement recommendations from concerned parties.

At a meeting in Supan Buri on Sunday, Chavarong Limpattamapanee, the chairman of the National Press Council of Thailand, said relevant organisations had decided that media outlets should be self-regulating, rather than subjected to external legal controls.

The participants resolved to launch a feasibility study to establish an ethics committee, to improve clear and practical ethical standards, to bolster the complaint process to ensure a swift response, and to establish a mechanism to monitor media ethics and violations.

The work will be carried out by a nine-member panel, which is scheduled to finish its work by March.