The Relationship between Print and Electronic Newspapers in Thailand in 2000 in Terms of Production Processes and News Contents

This thesis investigates the relationship between electronic and traditional newspapers in Thailand at the beginning of the 21st century. The data obtained from the study of four Thai national daily newspapers – Bangkok Post, Nation, Thairath and Matichon – and their websites in 1999 and 2000 are used in order to examine the relationship between print and electronic newspapers in terms of their news contents and production processes, with reference to the gatekeeping concept. This research employed three research methods: participant observation, interviews and content analysis. Participant observations of four newspapers’ newsrooms and interviews with their editors and webmasters, as well as a group of media professionals, were conducted in Thailand. Content analysis of news stories in fourteen issues of each print and electronic edition of the four newspaper samples was carried out in quantitative and qualitative terms to examine what kind of news content was selected and put through the news gate. The findings of this study suggest that the news selection or gatekeeping process in Thai electronic newspapers differs from their print counterparts by following the same news policy as the printed editions and publishing virtually unchanged print products onto their websites. However, the reproduced content on the electronic versions is likely to offer an increase in home news over international news. There are notable differences in the basic production processes, news priorities and technological functionality of the four print and electronic newspaper samples. The flow of global technologies is the main factor influencing the introduction of electronic newspapers to Thai society. At the time of the study, the four newspapers’ websites were not exploiting the full potential of the Internet. Finally, as in most countries, the four electronic newspapers in Thailand have been created as supplements to their printed editions.