Live TV suicide a first, but will it be the last?

I was dismayed by the coverage of the unfolding situation, as I am sure were many of the millions of Thais – including youngsters – who were watching TV that day. 

And how much more will Thailand suffer if that coverage now leads to copycat crimes? 

The live broadcasts didn’t halt even after they drew a barrage of public criticism followed by an order to desist from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

NBTC member Supinya Klangnarong took to Twitter to voice criticism, pointing out that concern with ratings should never override ethics. 

TV crews covering the drama could be forgiven for being overwhelmed with a situation they had never been in before. But what about the editorial teams in studios, who had access to feedback from various sides? 

Four TV stations subsequently summoned by the NBTC remain unapologetic, insisting they were merely doing what had to be done. 

Representatives of TNN, Thairath TV, Nation TV and Spring News explained they believed they were covering the arrest of a murder suspect. They denied any suggestion that they were “selling a suicide”. 

Their cameras had zoomed in on Wanchai Danaitamonut, a lecturer at Phranakhon Rajabhat University who was accused of shooting dead two of his colleagues a few days earlier. 

Their coverage started as soon as police surrounded Wanchai in front of a Bangkok hotel. 

For hours, the TV audience at home watched as a media scrum relayed footage of Wanchai pacing and occasionally pressing the gun in his hand to his temple. Also recorded was a hubbub of different voices. 

Viewers watched as his family members moved closer to the gun-wielding murder suspect in a bid to talk. 

Viewer numbers for stations that continued to broadcast Wanchai’s final struggle soared, according to Supinya, at the expense of those who agreed to halt their live coverage. Those who broadcasted for the full six hours did so for the sake of the ratings alone, she said. 

The cameras were still running when Wanchai shot himself in the head, though mercifully the act took place beyond the frame.

Many say the media coverage contributed to the violent outcome. Had he not been surrounded by cameras Wanchai might have felt less stress and been able to focus more on negotiations to surrender. 

 The broadcasters involved have been blamed for violating basic ethical standards as well as NBTC rules. 

The NBTC and the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association have decided against taking punitive action against the offenders. 

However, allowing such behaviour to go unpunished can only degrade social standards. 

Wanchai’s case also underlines the need for police to review their approach to such situations. Protocol already exists but the prescribed procedures were apparently not followed. 

How could police allow people get so close to a gun-wielding murder suspect, even if they were there to help persuade him to surrender? 

What if a pressured Wanchai had shot one of them? 

One expert commented that police should have realised that the only ones assigned to negotiate with Wanchai should have been officers with special training. 

“The negotiators should come from a hostage negotiation team. A situation like this needs well-trained people,” he insisted. 

Meanwhile a psychiatrist explained that police at the scene should have been more careful about their choice of words. Especially inappropriate, she said, were declarations like, “A suicidal man has no honour” and “Your students won’t respect you anymore because you don’t even know how to respect yourself.” 

Wanchai’s case may be the first-ever breaking news event in Thailand that was covered live for several hours. It should definitely become a case study from which lessons are drawn. 

Only by learning from this distressing episode can we prevent recurrence of a similar situation in the future. Standards need to be shored up. 

Chularat@nationgroup.com