Former Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has called on journalists to renew and reinvigorate the professionalism of the profession.

Speaking at the Global News Forum in Bangkok, he said journalists should think about what distinguishes them from the general public. “What is it that makes you a professional journalist, rather than someone who could just post or upload anything on to the internet, rather than someone who simply shares stories they have received.”

He said the answer was in three parts. “You cannot simply report, because anyone can be reporters now, but one of the most important jobs that makes you a professional journalist is that you are there to fact check for consumers, for the people.”

But he said it was simply not enough to know the truth, or to want to get the truth out. “The second part involves courage. Because in order to pursue and disseminate truth, you will come up against various obstacles. And it is vitally important that your job is to hold those in power to account.

“Collectively as a body, you should also go some way towards making sure there are good frameworks, or environments to protect your colleagues in trying to do this job. That means rules in the workplace, the law of the land. You should be active in making sure that this environment can take shape.”

The former Thai prime minister added that the third challenge was resisting dogma. “I would go beyond political dogma – there is economic dogma, there is dogma in terms of narratives that are being created or perpetuated by many groups of people for their own interests and gains. And the importance of resisting this kind of dogma is what makes you a professional journalist – balanced and impartial.”

He said the importance of truth, the courage to face up to those who are powerful and the determination to resist dogma, is not only needed, but it is urgent.

“Many of us now fear the risk of widespread violence, conflict, and war, so many of us see the loss of opportunity of what could be – despite the fact that humans have made so much progress technologically. So, it is time to renew and reinvigorate the professionalism of your profession. Truth, courage and the importance of resisting dogma, is the way forward and the future of news.”

Former Thai prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was the keynote speaker at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s Global News Forum in Bangkok on 18 July 2024. The event was co-hosted by the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS), Thailand’s first public broadcaster. The full speech is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3pTXLpSMpck?si=gXDOmvi5bVmxKTuy