Citation/Abstract

This study focuses on the HIV/AIDS story in Thailand, specifically the attitudes of the Thai press toward accepting federal money to report on HIV/AIDS, and explores the differences between government media roles and independent media roles regarding this issue. Using Siebert's four theories of the press, Thai journalists' ideas regarding the current state of Thai media also were secured. A snowball sample was used. Six government media journalists, six independent media journalists, and six Ministry of Public Health of Thailand officials were studied via in-depth interviews. Most of the journalists did not believe that accepting federal money to report on HIV/AIDS would have a positive impact on either the HIV/AIDS issue or on the future of the Thai press. A combination of authoritarian and libertarian seems to be most embraced today in the Thai press system and one government journalist believes that social responsibility is most embraced today.