STANDARDS PLEASE
You might be surprised to know there is no industry-wide Code of Ethics within the magazine industry in Thailand. The Magazine Association of Thailand (TMAT) exists although only attracts around 20 members. Maybe that's because it costs 20,000 baht a year to join what essentially appears to be a talking shop. My company is not a member, but in the time I have been in Thailand I've only seen one initiative that TMAT has been involved in.
What the industry needs is mandatory requirements and editorial standards. I like to think my company is at the top of the tree when it comes to ethics and standards but there's a huge void between us and some of the less professional publishers. Adopting the same high standards will undoubtedly result in the closure of some publishers, but it will mean a stronger industry at a time when competition for advertising revenue is extremely fierce.
1 comments:
Do you notice a decided lack of ethics across the board? One of the things I've noticed about Thailand is that there doesn't seem to be a moral basis for behavior. It's pretty much up to the individual to decide if 'doing good' is worthwhile. I know there's been a push on by the religious leaders to encourage moral decisions, but I've found they have a hard time explaining why people should exhibit moral behavior.
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