The National Press Council of Thailand has issued guidelines for reporting news about COVID-19 vaccinations, following the publication of inaccurate reports by several media outlets.
According to the guidelines, the media should provide balanced information, without editorializing or adding opinion, and should pay very close attention to the accuracy of the information to be published.
Members of the media are expected to avoid sensationalism and choose wording which is concise and factual. Dates of incidents or official information on COVID-19 vaccinations should always be mentioned in reports, to prevent misunderstanding.
The guidelinesaim to achieve a balance between speed and accuracy in reporting. Whenever incorrect information is detected, a correction must be published as soon as the error is identified and confirmed. Seeking advice from medical experts, before publishing a story on vaccination, is recommended and medical terms should be properly simplified and explained.
