Closer Media Cooperation Can Help Build Regional Consensus: Thai Journalists Association Chief

BANGKOK, Sept 5 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Closer cooperation among Asia-Pacific media organisations in fact-checking, news resource sharing and joint reporting can help build consensus and foster greater understanding across the region amid challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), said Kamphol Mahanukul, president of the Thai-Chinese Journalists Association, reported Xinhua.

He made the remarks in an interview ahead of his trip to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen to attend the Asia-Pacific Media Forum, which opened on Saturday.

Kamphol said media cooperation is closely linked to regional cooperation under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) framework.

Media organisations, as a driving force in news reporting and information dissemination, should strengthen direct exchanges and expand practical collaboration, he said.

He pointed to the challenges posed by AI and misinformation, including the rise of independent online content creators and lower barriers to news production and distribution.

“Today, anyone with a mobile phone can become a so-called ‘journalist’. But we still hope the public will trust mainstream media.”

Mainstream media outlets operate under established institutional frameworks and can be held accountable for the information they publish, Kamphol noted.

A news report typically goes through several stages, from news gathering and writing to editorial review, verification and final approval, he said.

By contrast, online content creators may prioritise attracting traffic and publishing quickly to generate revenue directly.

As a result, unverified information can be produced and disseminated more readily.

“In the past, radio was the fastest medium; then it was television; over the past decade, it has been the Internet,” Kamphol said.

“Everyone is trying to be the first to publish, and that increases the risk of mistakes.”

AI can help newsrooms monitor breaking events and assist with writing, copy-editing and fact-checking, he noted.

However, he stressed that verifying facts, exercising professional judgement and taking responsibility for published reports remain fundamental duties of media organisations.

Over more than 10 years since its establishment, the Thai-Chinese Journalists Association has promoted news exchanges, mutual visits by journalists and professional training between the two sides.

Thai media professionals have travelled to China for training in the use of AI and new-media content production, while media organisations on both sides have been expanding their sharing of news resources, Kamphol said.

Once media organisations establish stable partnerships, they can share visual materials such as photos and videos more efficiently with proper authorisation, he noted.

A journalist with more than 20 years of experience, Kamphol pointed to differences among media organisations across the region in cultural context, reporting practices and forms of expression.

He views the Asia-Pacific Media Forum in Shenzhen as a platform for participants to share experiences in news gathering and editing and discuss the use of AI in news production.

Looking ahead, Kamphol expressed hope that media organisations in the region will expand exchanges and cooperation in professional training and the use of AI, while deepening collaboration in sharing text, photo and video resources and jointly covering major developments.

“I hope credible media organisations and journalist associations in Thailand, China and across the Asia-Pacific can build a more stable and lasting platform for cooperation,” he said.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA