I’ve always taken the view that your first duty is to the story. You live with the consequences or you go and work for Getaway.
- Australian journalist Eric Campbell providing commentary on his recent Thailand report, as quoted in Erik Jensen, “ABC reporter risks jail over Thai report”, The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 April 2010.
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Why work for Getaway when you can work for the Thai government, or for the Thai press (no real difference)?
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Did anyone notice the blooper in Erik Jensen’s SMH coverage of Eric Campbell’s report – namely that Chotisak Onsoong did not stand for the “NATIONAL anthem ?
In fact it was the Royal anthem he refused to stand for.
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I support Eric concept.
Thai monarchy is nearly to be fad out.
My understanding on PM Mr.Abhisit Vejjajiva protect his Royal family.
His real mind is he wants to dissolved house.
Royal Family,mainly queen afraid to revoke their title.Thus,all of political unstable come from queens decisions.
For example,last year when clashed happened between RED and Yellow.Queen go to yellows funeral.
Now,Red lost their lives again,where is Queen Sirikit?
They always mention we are the parents of all Thai Peoples,no color no races.
But now where is Queen Sirikit?
THIS IS A RIGHT TIME TO CHANGE FOR THAILAND.
DON’T WAST PRECIOUS TIME.
At Vietnam Asean Summit 2010,Thailand Foreign Minister Mr.Sirikit would like to discus Myanmar internal affair.
I would like to advice if i have a chance before his attendance at that big event as follows:
Dear Mr. Sirikit,
Before you have to think other nations internal affair,please do political stabilities of your owned nation’s.Please do peace talk with Southern Thai Peoples.
Please stop discrimination to southern Thai Peoples.
Regards,
Khin Maung Nyo (Economist)
Chief Editor
World Economic Journal
kmnyo@worldeconomicjournal.org
kmaungnyo@gmail.com
Tel : 95 – 095063728
Contact
C/o
Myanmar Trademark & Patent Law Firm
Rm.304, 3rd Floor,
567,MACTower,
Merchant Road,
Kyauktada Tsp.,
Yangon, Myanmar.
GPO.666
Rm.304, 3rd Floor,
567,MACTower,
Merchant Road,
Kyauktada Tsp.,
Yangon, Myanmar.
GPO.666
Rm.304, 3rd Floor,
567,MACTower,
Merchant Road,
Kyauktada Tsp.,
Yangon, Myanmar.
GPO.666
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Eric Campbell is a disgrace.
In recent times he has proven that he cannot contain his sense of bias in his journalism. His report on a muslim nation proved his ethics in this regard, and this time, reducing his stature to the point where he makes the editorial decision to show the potential future Queen of Thailand Naked on Australian Television, on the National Broadcaster. As an Australian and a journalist I’m ashamed of this sensationalist, who ought to be a columnist for a UK trash magazine. Whoever at the ABC thought it wise to give this child a gun, should now have a good look at that policy, and make adjustments.
Campbell – do you really think you couldn’t tell the story without naked images of the future Queen?
You’re a disgrace.
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Frankly “Embarrassed Journalist,” if you are a journalist you need some remedial work on expression and the use of capital letters. Or are you really pulling our collective leg and making this up?
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Embarrassed Journalist@4 :
Yes – Campbell is a sensationalist, and an opportunist.
George Negus, of SBS – even worse.
Both clearly have little fundamental grasp of what is happening in Thailand – they’re suffle superficials, typical of Australian journalism in general.
But I can n’t see what the fuss is about that CP clip.
The CP has excellent taste in women. This is well-known.
The lady in question appeared bare-breasted, scantily-clad.
So what ?
In traditional South-East Asia, before Europeans arrived preaching Christian hypocrisy, women normally went about daily life bare-breasted. I can n’t see anything wrong with the CP reviving this cultural tradition. Indeed, it’s nothing more scandalous than one sees every day on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
And even Princess Dianna – and other European Royalty – have been seen scantily-clad enjoying the sun. I wish them the best.
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Frankly Ralph, if my Use of capitalisation is the best You can bring to this forum, then thank you for your contribution, care and concern.
Incidentally, I have a ton of work that could use some proofing if you’d care to volunteer.
Cheers and all the Best.
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Is “Embarrassed Journalist” by any chance related to a certain freelance ‘journalist’ of British/Indian descent and instigator of LM charges against Jonathan Head et al? I think we should be told.
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Embarrassed Journalist,
You’re getting bent out of shape over very little. I saw the video of the future queen – much ado about nothing.
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Again… more comments about me?
I should be flattered, if it weren’t for the seriousness of the actual issue.
Clearly sir, you should avail yourself of some of the issues before deciding whether there is ado about nothing.
This is my fifth year in Thailand – and I can tell you – it ain’t nothing.
Just to base this one instance of Campbell’s ignorance of professional duty in a little ethical fact, take a look at the Media Alliance Code of Ethics.
http://www.alliance.org.au/media_alliance_code_of_ethics/
Do think the potential future monarch released that naked footage to the public, or do you think her privacy was breeched?
Please… whose intelligence are we trying to insult here?
I’m not even going into the validity of the so called ‘report’ itself.
This is a matter of ethics, decency and common sense.
And all this while people are being blown up in the streets of Bangkok, over cloudy issues that the majority of Thai citizens themselves don’t fully understand.
Campbell knows full well which side of the fence he sits, and this is not lost on his viewers generally. In recent times, his pathetically veiled attempts to feign balance in his reporting, have become and industry standard joke.
This time he has gone too far. And I say ‘thankfully’. It lays his abilities as a serious journalist writ large at the feet of the consumer and his colleagues. I say let him retire to the back page of some checkbook tabloid, before his sensationalist attempts at self promotion does more damage.
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Though I have often been openly critical of the Thai monarchy, I felt sorry for the naked princess, who was probably only trying to please her husband. If Vajiralongkorn is pressured into discarding her before becoming King of Thailand, she will have the likes of Eric Campbell to thank for her misery. Even though it has long been available on the Internet, a decent man (and I don’t mean a prudish one) would have left the scene out.
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It’s not as if the video was taken secretly by some paparazzi in the hedges. It’s quite clear that both the subjects knew they were being taped.
From various leaks in the past, it seems the Prince has a habit of photographing and video taping in situations that to most people would find somewhat embarrassing. The fact that he’s continued doing this over the years despite fairly regular leaks shows the world that he’s fine with it, and that we’re just getting our prudish panties in a bunch.
This is Thailand. For centuries modest ladies walked around exposing their breasts and my great-grandfather, definitely not an amart, had a dozen wives.
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Well said.
I’m sure Campbell would gladly take the credit.
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Oh yes Mr Anonymous,
I’m sure the would-be future Queen is fine with it.
Why wouldn’t she be?
Surely you jest.
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I agree with Embarrassed Journalist and R. N. England on this point. Showing that clip is tacky and unnecessary. Re the CP, I see a grown up son- a grown up yet a son- who’s unsure of his gravity. To me, this is someone who genuinely doesn’t realise that filming naked women/having them going about naked in daylights is morally repulsive. This is someone who needs help, rather than condemnation.
Compassion is not a foreign nation.
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I suspect most of the people commenting here had seen the video prior to its airing by the ABC. But can you recall what you felt the first time saw it, particularly if you were naive to the ‘real Thailand’ at the time ? As a piece of evidence to convey to ABC viewers the hypocrisy that is Thailand, it is way more effective than anything than could have been said. Seeing it was important.
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It seems our fans of bare breasted ladies are out of touch with 2 main points.
1. The year is 2010.
2. How conservative female Thais feel about running about half naked in this day and age.
Have you lived and worked in Thailand gentleman? I feel Mr Beale possible has. I think you know full well that this is not a signal of a return to the good old days of ladies running around National Geographic style.
Indeed, Princess Diana was photographed semi naked in a beach.
This is precisely my point. Her privacy was breeched. The photographer was ‘that sort’ of paparazzi.
Contrary to popular belief, Thai ladies do not spend their free time dancing naked in a pole in a bar in downtown Bangkok. Thais truly are very conservative – even in these modern times.
The footage was clearly a private moment for the Royal Family, that was was leaked, deliberately or otherwise – who knows.
This more than embarrassing invasion of the privacy of a member of the Royal Family was further disseminated not by some freelance paparazzi, but by tax payer employed emissary of the ABC, the National Broadcaster of the Australian Government.
Let me put it this way. If Channel 10 wanted to see millions of Thais lose face by having their future Queen shown naked for the sake of ratings, I would be disappointed but not surprised.
I expect more from the ABC. This is a government endorsed message to Thailand. Taxpayer funded.
The government does not represent me on this issue. Neither does Eric Campbell. I expect sensitive, balanced, ethical, intelligent journalism. This insult served up Campbell style gets no ticks in any of those boxes.
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Embarrassed Journalist #17 I agree with you.
Campbell’s report would have been a better one, certainly a more diplomatic, balanced and fairer one :
1) if this breach of personal privacy had not been broadcast
2) somebody with contrary views to Paul Handley (eg. Grant Evans) had also been interviewed.
To me, this second point seemed a more serious flaw than the first – though I can understand conservative Thais taking great offense re. the first.
Personally this was my first time seeing that video, of which I’d previously only heard about but could scarcely believe.
As for government funding of the ABC, as you probably know this is done through an independent statutory body.
Unlike in Thailand, the Australian Government can not control programme content.
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Perhaps Campbell treats Thais as some sort of primitive people who should be awarded as much privacy as zoo animals.
It’s not only Campbell, though, he produced the show for the general public, for their tastes, and his superiors approved it, and they supposed to know their audience.
I can’t imagine them showing this kind of footage of any “white” royalty, government leadership, or plain celebrities.
Or Chinese or Japanese, for that matter.
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Yes Chris, very good points indeed.
Regardless, I do expect more from the ABC, and like it or not, the ABC with its due independence, although not a mouthpiece for the government, is the National Broadcaster. It’s not a good look on the world stage.
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Thanks Embarrassed Journalist for his thoughtful and provocative contribution. I’m a Thai and not one bit a fan of the Thai Royals. But I certainly agree with what he said.
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Thank you Plato for your comment…
Which shed’s light on part of my viewpoint here.
Imagine ‘Western’ readers if you were Thai, and the time is now.
I think you’d find that my comments would carry a little more weight.
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As far as I can tell, the only Alliance position questioned is this one: 11. Respect private grief and personal privacy. Journalists have the right to resist compulsion to intrude. So was the personal privacy respected? If this video has been in the public domain for years, how much privacy is being protected?
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StanG #19 :
Re :
1) “It’s not only Campbell, though, he produced the show for the general public, for their tastes, and his superiors approved it, and they supposed to know their audience.”
Unfortunately far too much of the Australian public remains Asia-illiterate – former PM John Howard, who cut back on Asian Studies, is clearly responsible for this.
And the ABC unfortunately has become more sensationalist, more tabloid, in recent years, due to budget, and increasingly commercial, pressures.
2) “I can’t imagine them showing this kind of footage of any “white” royalty, government leadership, or plain celebrities.”
To the best of my knowledge, the ABC has not yet done this.
But Western media certainly have – eg. Princess Dianna, and others.
3) ” Or Chinese or Japanese”.
It would be very difficult indeed to get anything like this video onto even the pirated black market in either country.
The really surprising thing is that somehow this video was leaked by very, very high-ranking Thais.
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Denying the obvious now?
In the West they sue for millions for unauthorized release of any private material even on the Internet.
In case of paparazzi footage they can at least claim the ownership of the tape and the right to show what they saw themselves.
In this case no one can claim rights to any part of this video.
Just last week I read in Database that you must seek permission of the subject even for pictures uploaded on photo enthusiast sites.
Even in Thailand last year a woman sued her former boyfriend for uploading their private videos on the Internet without her permission and won.
For Chinese – try to find any of that Hong Kong actor Eddie sexcapades anywhere online, let alone on Australian government TV. I’m sure they mentioned the scandal when it first broke out.
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This is like listening to children arguing in a playground.
The issue is not whether Eric Campbell should or should not have put that clip into the segment, but whether or not it should have been broadcast. That would have been a decision for the programme editor. In fact, given the nature of the programme (which I’ll admit I haven’t seen, although I have seen ‘that clip’), I would imagine that the decision to broadcast the footage would have been cleared a lot higher than that.
If you feel strongly about it all, stop whingeing on this thread and write to ABC instead – ask how broadcasting a segment that included that clip fits in with the basic Editorial Policies and Code of Practice.
Let me help you all along a bit -
“The Editorial Policies are freely available to all staff and understanding of it is essential for all who have editorial responsibility for ABC content. A copy of the Editorial Policies and the ABC’s Code of Practice can be downloaded from this page.
These policies enable program makers and the public to understand the editorial and ethical principles that are fundamental to the ABC. They are developed with the experience of ABC program makers and take account of the requirements of current legislation and regulation. Most importantly, they seek to reflect the standards that ABC audiences expect of their national broadcaster.
These policies offer a frame of reference as well as, on occasions, a check list of considerations aimed at helping program makers make difficult judgements for themselves.
The policies encourage program makers to satisfy the expectations of their audiences. But they also allow room for the challenging and disturbing to be seen or heard from time to time. To that end the policies insist, directly and by implication, on four fundamentals: honesty, fairness, independence and respect.”
http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/edpols.htm
And spare us all the Princess Diana analogies. She was hounded by press and paps alike – an unenviable position for anyone – but she also chose, often enough, to put herself in places where the hounding was inevitable.
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