The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 530
“Phnom Penh: The representative of an association of German journalists stated that unity among journalist through joining professional associations of journalists makes their power – though outside of the government – influential in society, and earns them support from the public.
“Starting on the morning of 18 October 2007, at Sunway Hotel, the Club of Cambodian Journalists held a seminar with Ms. Fraucke Anker, the Executive Director of the Association of German Journalists, to discuss the importance of associations, trade unions, and councils of journalists. The seminar was organized with the support from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Cambodia.
“The seminar was held for two days from 18 to 19 October 2007 with Mr. Pen Samithi, the President of the Club of Cambodian Journalists and Mr. Wolfgang Meyer, the President of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Cambodia, and Ms. Fraucke Anker, the Executive Director of the Association of German Journalists, who participated as chair and as speakers to share the experience of organizing associations of journalists, as it happened in Germany since the 1950s.
“Ms. Fraucke said that in Germany there are approximately 82 million people, there are 340 institutions publishing newspapers, there are approximately 75,000 journalists, and there are 6,800 magazines. However, there are only two associations of journalists in Germany. Then Ms. Fraucke compared this to Cambodia, which has approximately 14 million citizens, it has approximately 500 regular publications, but it has even up to 15 associations of journalists.
“Ms. Fraucke said that the power of the press is outside of the three powers of the state [legislative, executive, judiciary], but the press has an important role in society as a go-between in society, between the people and the government, the press has to explain and to publish, therefore journalism has a wide power and has rights, in accordance with the law. Journalists have to join together to create federations, associations, or trade unions, because associations of journalists, as the ones in Germany at present, have an important role to guarantee political freedom so that their members do not have to live in fear.
“There are only two associations of journalists in Germany, they bring journalists together without political prejudice; though they provide different services, the two associations of journalists adhere to the same position: to prevent the violation of journalists’ rights.
“Because Germany does not have a ministry of information, these two associations of journalists issue membership cards to journalists, and they monitor the observation of the journalists’ code of conduct. Ms. Fraucke acknowledged that the publication of newspapers in Germany declines finally [probably because of the growing role of electronic publications]. On the other hand, 95% of newspapers in Germany are local newspapers on the provincial and district levels, but there is also a small number of big newspapers on the national level.
“Ms. Fraucke said that 80% of German journalists are university graduates. Journalists who work full time may get salaries of €2,000 [approx. US$2,860] at the beginning, per month; as for journalists in general, they get average salaries ranging from €3,500 to €5,000, while an editor of a magazine, who is politically influential, can get a salary of €1 million [approx. US$1.4] per year.
“This shows the situation of German journalists – compared to the situation of journalists in Cambodia, where some journalists have no monthly income, let alone such comfortable incomes like German journalists do.
“Mr. Wolfgang Meyer, the head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Cambodia, acknowledged that in the situation of journalists in Cambodia it is definitely difficult for them in receive sufficient payment for their work in journalism. But so far, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation has joined to help promote the work of journalists through the Club of Cambodian Journalists.
“Mr. Pen Samithi, the President of the Club of Cambodian Journalists, expressed his thanks to the Association of German Journalists for sharing their experience from the situation of associations of German journalists to Cambodian journalists.
“He said that the creation of associations, trade unions, and councils of Cambodian journalists is a firm step to promote journalism in Cambodia.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1470, 19.10.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 19 October 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1470, 19.10.2007
- NiDA [National Information Communications Technology Development Authority] Holds Meeting to Discuss Implementation of Province and Town Administration Information Technology Network Project
- Cambodian Children Still Harmed by Unexploded Ordnance and Mines
- Press Conference on International Asia Golf Competition [held in Siem Reap]
- [Cambodian] Cargo Plane en Route to Singapore Crashes in Kandal Stung District [two of five people on board are seriously hurt, three are hurt only slightly]
- Russian Millionaire [Alexander Trofimov who invests in a hotel and resort on Kos Pos Island, Sihanoukville] Detained on Accusation of Debauchery with Six [underage] Girls
- Thailand Buys Twelve Warplanes Costing $1 Billion from Sweden
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6170, 19.10.2007
- COMFREL [Committee for Free and Fair Elections] Asks National Election Committee to Prolong [voter] Registration in Some Areas [because many people have not yet registered]
- Thai Soldiers Shoot Khmer Worker Who Guards Sugar Cane Field to Death on Accusation of Secretly Entering Thailand Illegally [Aranyaprathet, Sakaeo]
- Five Other Countries [Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Libya, and Vietnam,] Become Members of UN Security Council
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3289, 19.10.2007
- Corruption and Bureaucracy Block Influx of Foreign Investments to Cambodia
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4414, 19.10.2007
- Minister of Agriculture [Chan Sarun] Gives Explanations to Parliamentarian [Son Chhay, Sam Rainsy Party from Phnom Penh – about forest management and rubber plantation development]
Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.14, #3163, 19.10.2007
- Chan Sarun Says There Is No Logging of Wood for Export – While Sihanoukville Customs Officers Seize Five Containers of Wood
- Cambodia Has Not Had Enough Information about Scarcities
- Cambodian People’s Party Government Plans to Provide 100,000 Hectares of [concession] Land to Yuon [Vietnam] to Create a Rubber Plantation
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #529, 19.10.2007
- Investment Money in Cambodia Declines by 50 Percent [because of corruption and bureaucracy]
- Influence of Gifts and Power on Khmer Politics
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