The Survey of Ethics in Management and Content Presentation of Newspapers in Digital Age: A Case Study of Southern Local Newspapers

Abstract

This research aims to (1) survey ethics in management and content presentation in southern local newspapers according to regulations on the ethics of professional journalism B.E. 2541 (2) propose approaches for ethics development in local newspaper journalists. The researcher selects mixed method. For the qualitative methodology is interviewing 1 administrator and 1 journalist of each newspaper, a total of 17 informants and content analysis of news presentation on first page of 3 southern local newspapers of 3 provinces, a total of 9 newspapers during January-December 2015 consisting 917 news presented in quantitative comparison.

          From interview, problems in ethics in management and news presentation of southern local newspaper of 9 informants are corresponding which are asking money from journalists, publishing newspaper for advertising budget from sources and copying photos and news without references. For content analysis, the finding is 73 news from 917 news or 8% may violate ethics in public benefit issue because it presents horrible photos and inserts advertisement, and 62 news from 917 news or 7% presents unfairly for both parties. It presents in one way communication; there is no stakeholders’ opinion presenting; however, it is little amount compared with overall news which may violate ethics 151 news or 17% from 917 news. The approaches for development of local newspaper’ ethics are participating in the Council of Thailand Regional Press for asking the government to set the regulations for helping journalists about income, the National Press Council of Thailand should have law controlling local media, the newspaper professionals should study in mass media, the receivers have to screen news and push the journalists to conduct themselves better and related press organizations should take care of media, cultivate awareness and give opportunity to local journalists to learn good examples of qualified news and to have field trip in national newspapers organizations. Furthermore, the informants give approaches to develop local newspaper which most of them will create facebook, electronic book (E-book), TV on YouTube, Google+, network building, brand reinforcement and journalist developing to be multi-skilled person.