The NRSA committee tasked with media reform got recommendations yesterday from media professionals in regard to the bill on protecting media freedom, while promoting ethics and standards in journalism.

The bill aims to regulate the media in the digital media landscape, which blurs the line between traditional and digital media, according to political observers.

But the bill has become controversial due to its proposed professional media council, which media professionals have rejected.

“We strongly disagree with the professional council enshrined in the bill, as it may be used as a political tool to influence the media,” said Wanchai Wongmeechai, president of Thai Journalists Association (TJA).

He said executive committees in the council might be exploited for the interests of particular political blocs.

He said media organisations self-regulate one another and the draft constitution endorsed in the August 7 referendum did not stipulate that there should be such a council to control the press.

Wanchai attended yesterday’s meeting with the media reform panel.

He said media bodies including the TJA, the National Press Council of Thailand, and the Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association would discuss this matter on Monday to counter the NRSA’s move.

Media organisations would push for a media protection law to be enacted at the same time in order to protect the press from interference by the “dodgy” council, if the bill was promulgated, he said.

Alongkorn Ponlaboot, the NRSA vice president who chaired the meeting, said yesterday’s media gathering was the final process to get feedback from journalists.