แนวทางการกำหนดกรอบจริยธรรมและการดำเนินงานในการประกอบกิจการกระจายเสียงและกิจการโทรทัศน์ประเภทบริการสาธารณะ

Abstract

The research entitled “Approaches in determining an ethical framework for the operation framework for public service broadcasting (PSB)” has two objectives: 1) to study approaches in determining an ethical framework for the operation of public service both locally and internationally; 2) to find out important issues that should be included in the ethical guidelines for the operation of public service broadcasting through brainstorming and consultative sessions with stakeholders. The research uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Document research of local and overseas PSB organizations is carried out, together with key informant interviews with 61 stakeholders. Meanwhile, a questionnaire based survey on 2,400 samples from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration area is undertaken. The research finds that there are two main approaches in determining an ethical framework in PSB organizations in the studied countries – United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, Japan, and Thailand. The first approach is to outline the ethical framework in detailed principles and practical guidelines. Such approach is found in the UK and Thailand. The other approach is to set up only broad framework for ethical conduct. The latter approach is found in the US, Japan, and Australia. However, across these PSB entities in the studied countries, at least three issues are found to be common principles including 1) accuracy, fairness, objectivity, and balance of content; 2) respect of human dignity and personal differences; and 3) protection of minors through regulation of harmful content for child development.

Although the ethical standard used by the UK PSB – the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) now reflects clear and detailed principles and guidelines, the situation at the inception is different. Only broad principles and guidelines were mapped out at the beginning., Howerer as time passes and more facts and lessons have been collected through actual practices, the principles and guidelines gradually accumulated. In the Thai PSB case, as it was founded only in recent years, Thai PBS has benefitted from its model (the BBC) in terms of ethical standard. This explains why Thai PBS’s ethical guideline is very detailed even from the very beginning of operation. As for the issues that ought to be included as ethical guidelines from the viewpoints of stakeholders and members of the populace, common issues include 1) accuracy, fairness, objectivity, and balance of content; 2) refraining from inappropriate content that may lead to harmful imitative behavior or content that shows clear disrespect of religion and (unproven) supernatural powers.