It is another study tour for DMC student in batch 08. This afternoon, our TV production lecturer led us to the Cambodian Television Network (CTN) and we have learnt a lot from a presentation by Huy Vannak, CTN news editor.
[slideshow] By: Dara Saoyuth 01/03/2011
Cover of LIFT Issue 53
According to a census taken of Cambodia’s population in 2008, 58.41 percent of households own at least one television set. News programmes are what every station cannot do without. Cambodia’s television stations present a variety of both national and international news to their audiences and also produce some other programmes including live reports and news analysis.
Huot Kheangveng, the deputy general director of the Bayon station which is owned by Prime Minister Hun Sen’s daughter, said his station tries to cater to its audience’s needs, adding that the audience likes news which impacts their lives and is a bridge between the government and the people.
Pen Samithy, the president of the Club of Cambodian Journalists and editor of the Raksmey Kampuchea newspaper, said that developing a variety of news for television was good for the people and the country as a whole since people can learn what’s happening around them. He said, however, there were not very many local television programmes and they were not updated.
Information Minister and Government Spokesman Khieu Kanharith said making shows for TV is a big expense, and added that just to get a good camera like the ones being used at TVK costs about $30,000 to $40,000.
He said that privately-owned television stations have to make money, so they are not able to have lots of people capturing the news from all over the country.
“Most of the news focuses on the government’s achievements and is positive,” said Pen Samithy. “I just want all the news that impacts the people.”
Lift conducted a survey of 100 university students in Phnom Penh and the results showed that 65 percent said the news is biased towards the government.
However, Huot Kheangveng said his television station carried both the positive and negative points of the government to let people know about its achievements and also to constructively criticise government.
“We have references, real sources and our reporters do it professionally. We disseminate the truth only,” he said.
Launched in March 2003, the Cambodian Television Network, or CTN, is the most popular station in Cambodia and is now broadcasting news for seven hours each day. Its programmes include the morning news, which has been running for the past year.
“Any bad news has already been reported by some radio stations and newspapers, so we don’t have to follow because it’s not good,” said Som Chhaya, CTN’s deputy director general and news editor, explaining that the market for news is very small and they cannot survive on news shows alone.
“As you can see, some newspapers are still printed in black and white and have not changed to colour printing like the others.”
Som Chhaya also said there are some obstacles he and his crews face in getting news. Getting information is sometimes difficult for him because some departments and ministries don’t have any spokesperson, so he has to try to contact other relevant sources who sometimes cannot be reached.
Now most television stations produce news programmes and analysis, which Som Chhaya
compares with having a meal that is delicious after adding the seasoning, more meat and more vegetables, meaning that news analysis provides more detail for the audience to better understand a situation.
Soy Sopheap, a news analyst at Bayon TV, said he always recaps and analyses the important news of the week, but acknowledged that “it’s not correct all the time, but we say what is true and adhere to our profession as journalists”.
However, Khieu Kanharith stressed that news analysis is not news but opinion.
“They have the freedom to express their opinions,” he said, adding that some people are not very professional in their analysis, but the majority of them are.
By: Dara Saoyuth & Sun Narin[soundcloud width=”100{0a5c1eeb84ccc7c2d601964b33dd4fc73dc6a68f91616e3e53041e90b1033ab3}” height=”81″ params=”show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ff7700″ url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/8309634″] Should authorities be blamed on Koh Pich Issue by saoyuth
My radio production course assigned me to do a commentary with my friend under a topic “Should authorities be blamed on Koh Pich Issue?”. My friend is on an opposing site that he think that the authorities should be blamed while I am on a supporting side that I have to stat that authorities should not be blamed.
We’ve just finished it as a radio course assignment and we’d like to share this piece with all of you. Cheers,
Relatives blessing for the deceased / by: Dara Saoyuth
Cue/Introduction: Diamond bridge stampede claimed some 350 people’s lives and injured hundreds last month, on the last day of water festival. Critics and a number of people have been complaining about the tragic incident. They put blame on the authorities for the reason that they have not managed the event well. However, some people have the ideas that no one should be blamed for the incident.
Our program is going to have commentary on the topic “Should the government be blamed for the incident?” Our commentators Sun Narin and Dara Saoyuth will express their point of view on the issue.
Sun Narin (Opposing site): I could not imagine how such incident happen on that day? People got jammed on the bridge and could not get out. Cambodia’s prime minister Hun Sen said that “Nobody will be punished for the incident.”
However, Sam Rainsy opposition party Son Chhay pushed the ruling government to identify the people responsible for “organizing the festival and handling the crowd” and wanted them to be fired from the position. This includes Phnom Penh governor, head of the police and interior ministry.
In my opinion, the government at least should take actions with those officials because they are irresponsible for their duty.
Phnom Penh municipality, relevant ministry and police did not perform their work responsibly and carefully. Why didn’t police facilitate the people’s crossing the bridge? There is not a lot of police force deploying at the incident place at that time.
Moreover, the bridge is for the exit only, why people were allowed to get in and out? This is the reason causing the mass deaths. Why didn’t police deal with that problem?
Police could not help the victims urgently when the incident happened, keeping people stuck in the crowdedness more than 2 hours. This caused more people dead because of the suffocation in the stampede.
Finally, the organizing people don’t plan the ceremony well. They are not well-prepared to be ready for the unplanned incident. Comparing to other countries, when there is the some special event like that the government must guarantee that the safety for people. They are very careless about this.
I think this is the mass unprecedented deaths, so all these officials should be taken off from the position as the example for the other people.
Dara Saoyuth (Supporting site): Even though most Cambodians can think only who should be blamed when talking about tragedy on Koh Pich, to me, it is an opportunity to learn rather than focus on blame finding.
During the water festival, truck or big cars were not allowed to enter the city and even tuktuk couldn’t drive along riverside to avoid traffic jam and accident. I dared to say that Phnom Penh authorities were well-planned for the festival.
This year, people moved into the city more than the authority expectation, that in the evening of 22 November 2010, the accident happened. There are many reasons causing stampede including the lack of people morality that they push each other back and forth? Why should only authorities be blamed?
As we can see, immediately after the accident, the authorities were trying to help the victims in many ways.
The government ordered the Ministry of Health to pay much attention to the victims and also some officers to send dead people to their provinces with free of charge. The Phnom Penh Capital Hall also started reporting on the tragedy instantly and kept updating with new announcement related to the incident.
No one wants this to happen and also nothing can be changed. Now we should better find the solution instead of blaming.
One facebooker, Samsokrith Chhaly, urges the public to think of those who died during the Water Festival as heroes because they gave us priceless lesson for next year’s preparation. When development sides establish in Cambodia next time, I’m sure that they will think first about an effective risk management system.
Conclusion by Dara Saoyuth:
After listening to both supporting and opposing sides, do you still think that government should be blamed for the tragedy? If yes, what can you get from that? I know that it is Cambodian habit to accuse each other when something bad happen, but I suggest you to be more positive by considering it as a lesson. Again, no one should be blamed. Critics should take the effective risk management system for considering rather than putting blame.
By: Dara Saoyuth & Sun Narin 22/12/2010
The Cambodian aunt and sister of a vicitim pray for their relative at the Diamond Gate bridge / by: TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP/Getty Images
After having dinner outside with friends this evening, I decided to ride my motor with them to Koh Pich (Diamond Island). This is the first time I rode across the bridge after the tragedy happened on 22 November 2010.
Everything is quite different from the last time I went there before the bad accident occurred. The north bridge where hundreds people died because of stampede is still being closed after the accident, so I was able to go to the island and back to the mainland only by another bridge.
There are not many people on the island though today is the weekend. It’s very easy for me to ride around the island unlike the earlier time I was there, but I still think it’s better to have more people.
Most of the shops didn’t open especially entertainment places where now, there are only a few people there who mostly are the entertainment places owners themselves. It seem like no one dare to get on that entertainment instruments after something unpleasant happened.
I know that it’s not easy to forget about something happen on the last day of water festival in Cambodia this year. It take more time to calm people’s feeling that I myself have no idea when will this feeling goes away from Cambodians’ minds.
by: Dara Saoyuth 04/12/2010
Image via CrunchBase
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លី ទីណេត បានឱ្យដឹងថា៖ «ខ្ញុំធ្វើការផ្លាស់ប្តូររូបភាពក៏ដូចជាសរសេរអ្វីផ្សេងៗទាំង នេះ គឺចង់ចូលរួមរំលែកទុក្ខជាមួយនឹងក្រុមគ្រួសារជនរងគ្រោះ នឹងដើម្បីបង្ហាញថាប្រជាជនខ្មែរតែងតែចេះជួយគ្នា និងយកចិត្តទុកដាក់ចំពោះគ្នានៅពេលដែលមានរឿងហេតុអាក្រក់កើត ឡើងម្តងៗ»។
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ម៉ៅ ពិសិដ្ឋ ជាម្ចាស់ប្លុកឈ្មោះ កំណត់ហេតុពិសិដ្ឋ (http://mpsinfor.wordpress.com ) ហើយលោកបានសរសេរអត្ថបទចំនួនពីរផ្សេងៗគ្នាទាក់ទងនឹង ព្រឹត្តិការណ៍កើតឡើងនៅកោះពេជ្រ។ ម៉ៅ ពិសិដ្ឋ បានឱ្យដឹងថាគាត់ចូលចិត្តសរសេរប្លុកដោយសារតែ ប្លុកចំពោះគាត់គឺសម្រាប់ជាកំណត់ហេតុផ្ទាល់ខ្លួនផង និងអាចមានជាប្រយោជន៍ដល់អ្នកដទៃដែលបានអានផងដែរ។ នៅក្នុងអត្ថបទទាំងពីររបស់គាត់ ម៉ៅ ពិសិដ្ឋ បញ្ចេញនូវទស្សនផ្ទាល់ខ្លួនដើម្បីបង្ហាញនូវការបារម្ភ និងដើម្បីជួយឱ្យអ្នកដែលបានអានគិតឡើងវិញនូវរាល់ពាក្យចចាម អារាម ផ្សេងៗដែលទាក់ទងនឹងសោកនាដកម្ម។
ម៉ៅ ពិសិដ្ឋមានប្រសាសន៍ថា៖ «ខ្ញុំគិតថាអ្វីដែលបានកើតឡើងនៅកោះពេជ្រមិនមែនជារឿងធម្មតា នោះទេ ព្រោះមនុស្សម្នានៅតែបន្តកាន់ទុក្ខចំពោះអ្នកដែលបានស្លាប់បាត់ បង់ជីវិត»។ លោកបន្តថាគាត់មិនចង់ឱ្យអ្នកដែលនៅរស់រានមានជីវិតកាន់តែមាន ការភ័យខ្លាចជាមួយនឹងពាក្យចចាមអារាមផ្សេងៗនោះទេ ហេតុនេះទើបគាត់សរសេរទាក់ទងពីកត្តាទាំងអស់នេះដាក់ ក្នុងប្លុករបស់គាត់។ អត្ថបទភាគច្រើនរបស់ ម៉ៅ ពិសិដ្ឋ ត្រូវបានសរសេរជាភាសាអង់គ្លេស ប៉ុន្តែសម្រាប់រឿងទាំងពីរនេះត្រូវបានសរសេរជាភាសារខ្មែរដោយមាន បកប្រែជាភាសាអង់គ្លេសនៅពីខាងក្រោម។
ម៉ៅ ពិសិដ្ឋបានឱ្យដឹងថា៖ «ខ្ញុំព្យាយាមសរសេររឿងទាំងនេះជាពីរភាសា គឺដើម្បីឱ្យអ្នកទស្សនាទាំងជនបរទេស ទាំងជនជាតិខ្មែរអាចអានបាន។ បុរសអាយុ ២៦ឆ្នាំរូបនេះបានបន្តថា ចំពោះអ្នកដែលមិនមានពុម្ពអក្សរយូនីកូដ ពួកគាត់ក៏អាចអានជាភាសាអង់គ្លេសបានដែរ។
ទាក់ទងនឹងការដែលថាតើ អត្ថបទទាំងអស់នេះនឹងត្រូវបាន ផ្សព្វផ្សាយទៅដល់អ្នកទស្សនា បានច្រើនប៉ុណ្ណានោះ ម៉ៅ ពិសិដ្ឋ បានឱ្យដឹងថាគាត់មិនធានាថាវាអាចទៅដល់មនុស្សច្រើននោះទេ តែបើតាមស្ថិតិក្នុងប្លុករបស់គាត់បញ្ជាក់ថាវាបានទៅដល់មនុស្ស ច្រើនគួរសមដែរ ហើយបើយ៉ាងហោចណាស់ក៏ពាក់កណ្តាលនៃ មិត្តភក្តិរបស់គាត់ជាង៧០០នាក់នៅក្នុងFacebook បានអានអំពីវាដែរ ព្រោះ តែគាត់បានចែករំលែកវានៅក្នុង Facebook ផងដែរ។
បើទោះបីជាព័ត៌មានដែលចេញមកពីបណ្តាញសង្គមទាំងអស់នេះត្រូវ បាន គេចាត់ទុកថាជាព័ត៌មានក្រៅផ្លូវការដោយសារតែមិនមានអ្នកត្រួត ពិនិត្យមុនពេលបោះពុម្ព យ៉ាងហោចណាស់ក៏វាបានផ្តល់នូវព័ត៌មាននិងសាវតានៃរឿងទៅដល់ អ្នកដែលមិនទាន់បានដឹងសោះពីព្រឹត្តិការណ៍ណាមួយនោះដែរ៕
Relatives blessing for the deceased / by: Dara Saoyuth
Having come to Phnom Penh to pursue higher education from my home in the province, it is rare that I have a few days off to visit my family. So, rather than joining the millions of people who came to Phnom Penh, I made the opposite trip and went home for the festival weekend.
I was sound asleep in my parents’ house, enjoying the comforts of familiar places, when my parents woke me up. I was rather annoyed, seeing that it was 2am, but once I understood what they were telling me, questions began to come to my mind, which was having an impossible time accepting that hundreds of people have actually died on the Koh Pich bridge.
Most of the questions involved the status of my friends still in the city and I frantically dialed numbers and sent out messages to find out if people were okay. Some of my friends had a similar reaction to mine upon being woken up – annoyed – but it was worth it to me to hear their voices.
I left the province at 7am, with few of my initial questions answered. As soon as I finished my lunch upon my return to the city, I hurriedly put my camera, recorder, notebook and a bottle of water into my backpack and rushed to the Phnom Penh Post office. I was asked by my editor to help another reporter, who was from America, to shoot a documentary about the event. After being so far away from the event earlier in the day, I was anxious to find out what really happened in my nation.
The Cambodian -Russian Friendship Hospital was teeming with crowds of victims’ relatives as we arrived. I immediately became overwhelmed by sadness, but this was the truth I wanted to see. For those involved in the stampede, desperation was the only emotion there was in the days after the stampede. We spent almost an hour walking around the hospital and nothing like tiredness even crossed my mind. I was too filled with sympathy and pity to consider anything else.
There were two big boards with victims’ photos stuck on either side. Some people burst into tears when they saw photos of their relatives lying dead. I couldn’t imagine. My friends and family were okay but I was still barely able to look at the rows of photos.
I talked with a girl who was among the many family members roaming the halls and tending to their kin. I talked to a girl who said her aunt was still alive in a nearby room, but was unable to move any part of her body. She said a few more words, but then stopped. As her eyes filled with tears, I couldn’t bear to ask any more questions or push her to talk more. My heart truly ached for her and all the others in her situation.
The fact that I was carrying a camera bag and a tripod, along with a fixed camera hanging around my neck, didn’t exactly make me inconspicuous; and as I walked by, I heard people whisper that another foreign journalist was there to cover their tragedy. I was proud that I looked like a professional to these people, but I also felt like I should put down all of this stuff and help calm people who were crying, carry coffins into the truck, or care for those still suffering. This was the first time I had been assigned a story like this, and it made me realise how difficult it must be for journalists to balance their duty to tell the story of terrible events and help the desperate people around them.
I wanted to separate my job that day from my feelings, but I simply couldn’t. This is my country and these were fellow Cambodians suffering around me. I kept imagining how terrible it would feel just to find out that someone I know was among the people who died that night on the bridge. If it was someone I truly loved I can’t imagine how bad it would hurt.
I arrived home with an overwhelming sense of sadness hanging on me. I called my friends who also helped report the story and they were also unable to shake the depression and fear that the day’s events had inspired. I thought about how the water festival has always been a happy time for Cambodian people, and whether that would ever be true again.
People watching body lifting into coffin / by: Dara Saoyuth
Some of you might say it’s a bit late for Student Blog to run a story about an accident happened at Koh Pich (Diamond Island) on Monday night. As a Cambodian, I think this tragedy will never be outdated to write and it’s hard for me to let this event passed without having something on my blog.
Last night, I was at my hometown in Kampot province and while I was sleeping, my parents woke me up to watch a live broadcast program on TV. It’s around 2am at that time. Having a look on TV screen, I immediately felt shock because of what I saw and heard was about the tragedy that hundreds people died and other hundreds people injured.
A short time after I saw what was happening, I took my phones to call to some of my friends and relatives asking whether they are all right while lots of SMS came to my phone one after another asking whether I am ok.
Ki Media mentioned that the accident happened around 10:00pm on 22nd of November 2010. You can read many articles about this accident written in both English and Khmer and to assist you, I will recommend you some addresses below.
Website in English:
1. Hundreds die in tragic end to water festival 2 Phnom Penh struggles to cope with tragic stampede_The Phnom Penh Post Hundreds dead as popular water festival ends in tragedy_International NewsBlog in Khmer:
1. ២២ វិច្ឆិកា ២០១០ មេរៀនមួយសម្រាប់ខ្មែរ 2. សាក្សី និង ជាជនរងគ្រោះថា សោកនាដកម្មបណ្តាលមកពីឆក់ចរន្តអគ្គិសនី 3. មហាសោកនាដកម្មកោះពេជ្រ Dara Saoyuth 23/11/2010