BACK AND WHITE AND RED ALL OVER
So Thailand will get another newspaper later this month. The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, (red shirts) announced last week its intention to start producing a 18-24 page, five-days-a-week tabloid with a 50,000 copy print run.
Whilst obviously a politically motivated move it's going to take someone with deep pockets to keep this kind of venture alive. The Manager Group, with its own newspapers and magazines, lost a lot of advertising revenues from its association that the yellow shirts. I cannot see how it will be any different for a red-backed newspaper.
At least it shown one thing; the print media is still being seen as essential for getting a message across in Thailand.
2 comments:
it will be interesting to see whether large numbers of "poor" people are able and willing to pay for this paper unlike the Manager rags that are targetted at small numbers of "rich" who typically dont want to pay for anything
will be very interested in any revenue numbers available for each (as you note probably unaudited...)
I agree with David. this undertaking certainly is not a commercial one.
perhaps UDD has to consider some newer alternative means to spread the info they want. although computers (internet) and iPODs seem even less likely to be used by peasants and workers, who comprise UDD bulk. only their urban supporters might be able to afford it.
apparently they employ what I would call a "semi-multimedia" : most of families even in villages have TV set and VCD / DVD players (which are cheap now - in dep. stores one can buy even for less than 1000 Baht) and can play the VCDs or audio CDs, even if not everyone of the peasants can afford to have PC with ADSL connection to watch youtube and streaming video / radio.
durign last week rally (May 10) there were many people who were buying the CDs for 20-50 Baht. so, if new "red" newspaper is also within that price range (like Nation or Bkk post are what - 20-30 Baht now ?) then probably it wouldn't be too pricey.
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