In a brief report released yesterday, the TJA said the media faced constraints in 2016, including through the special power and the orders of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), while it stated that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had a negative attitude towards the media.

It said the government was trying to interfere and control the media in many ways by claiming the industry needed to be reformed.

Recently, the media reform steering committee of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) deliberated on the draft bill on the rights |protection, ethical promotion and professional standards of media |professionals.

Six media organisations – including the National Press Council, the Thai Journalists Association and the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association – opposed the draft out of fear that it might result in politicians and government officials intervening in the media through members of the so-called national media council.

The draft stipulates that the permanent secretaries of four ministries as well as four representatives selected by the government are to sit on the 13-member committee. The move is deemed to be against the spirit of the new charter, which guarantees freedom of press as well as freedom of expression in accordance with ethical and professional standards.

The TJA insists on the principle of media self-regulation. It is against the bill, which would give the national media council the power to issue media licences, saying the move could lead to abuse of power.

The NRSA and the National Legislative Assembly are considering other laws that might be used to control the media including the requirement for media outlets to register with the national media council before they can operate.

Moreover, Article 44 of the interim charter gives sweeping power to the NCPO chief and was recently issued to extend the deadline for the return of radio frequencies under the military and the government by five year, as a result broadcasters will have to continue to operate under them for the next five years.

“During media reform, the government has been trying to introduce many laws as mechanisms to control, interfere or threaten freedom of the press … in many cases the media have violated media codes of ethics, giving the chance for the government to justify its claim that it needs to control the media,” the TJA said.

Meanwhile, the changing economic and technological environment has forced the media industry to adapt for survival, amid the public’s declining trust in the media.

“It is time for all media organisations and professionals improve their behaviour to earn public trust again, “ the TJA said.