The call came as veteran editors urged journalists to adapt and improve their reporting skills to keep up with the region’s rapid changes.

Speaking at an event marking the 36th anniversary of the Confederation of Thai Journalists (CTJ) yesterday, ex-Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said the Thai media had a commitment to help bring back the democratic space in society so the country would not return to the fragile state of the past 15 years.

Surin, now chairman of the Future Innovative Thailand Institute, said Thailand had an important role in determining Asean’s fate. If the media did not do their job properly in boosting its people’s sense of participation in solving the country’s problems and helping move it forward, they would lose their awareness and readiness to engage in Asean’s development and prospective benefits. The country would also lose its competitive capacity and dignity as a result, he added.

Surin challenged the media to think how they would address this challenge. He suggested that journalists explore the possibility of helping expand a space for freedom and liberty for the public based on rationale, reconciliation, and information.

Suthichai Yoon, chief adviser to the editorial and management boards of Nation Multimedia Group, suggested that the CTJ take a lead in modern Asean related to reporting. He said it was the media’s new mission to address their role in reporting the news.

Asean reporting, he added, must be fun and connected to the audience. Reporters can adopt new technology to improve their access to news sources far away, as well as improve content. Young reporters, he said, should learn how to think of news with an Asean perspective no less than concentrating on language skills.

Kavi Chongkittavorn, former chairman of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance and now an independent media advocate, said Thai journalists had been among the most active in reporting about Asean but had not taken the lead. He said their reporting had to improve, including enhancing their lack of in-depth perspective, continuity, and overall quality.

He suggested they do more homework and free themselves a bit from the use of new technology and multi-tasking.

Manit Suksomjit, former president of the Thai Press Council, said the Thai media had been working hard to realise the principle of upholding freedom of expression with social responsibility, and this should be promoted in their work on Asean issues.