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Samak up close and personal
Is rudeness a vote-getter?

By Jon Fernquest

[Introduction|Article]
[Reading Questions|Answers]

Speaking politely and acting like a gentleman may not be necessary to get votes. Today's article seems to be a case study in how not to deal with the media, or is it?

An article in the Post Today on Friday ran a transcript that caught Samak Sundaravej (party boss of the PPP and Thaksin's proxy in Thailand) in the act of bullying and harassing reporters. Samak avoided the difficult questions that reporters posed to him in a number of ways, none of them polite:

a. I have no duty to explain.
b. Were you hired by somebody?
c. I don't need to answer this question.
d. Don't ask me like I'm in court.
e. Don't pester me.
f. Why do you ask?
g. What people [want to know] ? Show me the list.
h. ...this is not a matter to be talked about.
i. ...anybody who wants to dig into this matter has ill intentions toward the PPP.
j. The matter is over.
k. Why keep pestering me?
l. Which paper you work for? Tell me.

Some natural questions:

1. Why can Samak get away with being rude?
2. Do some voters like rudeness and roughness?
3. Is roughness seen as a sign of strength and manliness by some?
4. Do some voters favour a rough style over Abhisit's more refined, polite, and gentlemanly approach?

"Showing grace under fire" or not "losing your cool" has become increasingly important in public life. Former president Clinton set a new standard in the United States for not losing his cool under pressure. Will politicians ever be held to account for losing their cool and being rude?

Of course, the bigger issue is what contempt for the media could mean after an election victory when the candidate has power and can actively suppress the media and freedom of speech as Thaksin did. This is the issue addressed at the very beginning of today's article.

up close and personal - a phrase commonly used in the title of interviews, indicates that you're going to learn what a person is really like personally
rude - not polite
proxy - acting for someone else
transcript - writing down in words what people say
bullying - pushing people around, forcing them to do what you want
harassing - causing trouble for someone else, attacking verbally or causing problems
pester - annoy, cause trouble for
ill intentions - want to harm
get away with - do without negative consequences
refined - very polite, good manners, good taste
showing grace - behaving in a polite and dignified way, even when they are upset and angry
under fire - being attacked verbally
losing your cool - getting angry suddenly, losing control of your temper
held to account for - accepting criticism and punishment for something you did wrong

Reading Questions

Here are some questions to guide your reading (See answers at end):

1. What did Thaksin mean in his famous remark: "The UN is not my father!"

2. In what situation did he make this remark?

3. What was Thaksin's attitude towards the media during his administration?

4. How did Thaksin express contempt towards the media?

5. How does Samak compare to Thaksin in his contempt for the media?

6. What are some of the rude ways that Samak avoids media questions? (Make a list)

7. What was Samak's most offensive remark to a reporter during the press conference?

8. Why was the remark offensive?

9. What is a reporter's job?

10. What appropriate response can a politician (or other public figure) make to a tough question that he or she does not want to answer?

Bangkok Post Article Monday November 12, 2007

COMMENTARY

If questions are too tough, go home

VEERA PRATEEPCHAIKUL

The remark will be long remembered: "The UN is not my father!" It came from the mouth of then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who appeared annoyed by reporters who questioned him persistently about a United Nations report about alleged human rights abuses during his regime.

The ex-prime minister was known not to be on good terms with the media, especially the print media which he often treated with contempt. And when he was pestered with questions not to his liking he sometimes lost his cool and shot back, demanding to know which publications they represented.

It was widely known Thaksin's dislike of the media, in particular media critical of his administration, was not limited to harsh words for reporters. Advertising by long-time clients suddenly disappeared. In serious cases, multi-million-baht defamation lawsuits were lodged against media critics.

a remark - a comment, what someone says about something
persistently - continually, without stopping
contempt - without respect
pestered - annoyed, irritated, troubled, made life difficult
lost his cool - get angry
shot back - answer quickly and a little rudely
defamation - say something that damages another person's reputation
lawsuits - seek legal action against someone
lodged against - make against

Contempt for the media: A Thaksin legacy

But Thaksin's contempt for the media pales when compared to his heir, Samak Sundaravej, leader of the Thai Rak Thai's incarnation, the People Power party (PPP). By design or coincidence, his choice of Samak to pursue his unfinished legacy couldn't be more appropriate.

Both Thaksin and Samak have at least one thing in common - they dislike the media. But while Thaksin is more restrained, Samak does not hesitate to show hostility when a reporter's questions rub him the wrong way.

contempt for - have no respect for, look down on, treat rudely
pales when compared to - from "pales in comparison" which means "is not very good when compared to"
an heir - someone who receives
incarnation - one appearance among many repeated appearances
legacy - what someone leaves behind for others after they die or after they leave a position
restrained - in control (anger inside perhaps, but does not show)
does not hesitate - does quickly without caution
hostility - display of anger
rub him the wrong way - does not like

Samak's Conversation with Reporters

Following are excerpts of a conversation between Samak and several reporters at the PPP head office on Thursday. (The full text was in Post Today's Friday edition.)

Siam Rath reporter: There was a report that Khunying Sudarat [Keyuraphan] and Newin [Chidchob] were involved in preparing the list [of party-list candidates]. Is it true?

Samak: I have no duty to explain. Were you hired by somebody?

Reporter: No sir.

Samak: If no, [I] don't need to answer this question.

Reporter: No answer means you're not denying it, correct?

Samak: Don't ask me like I am in court. Don't pester me. Why do you ask?

Reporter: The people want to know, sir.

Samak: What people? Show me the list. I don't mind if you want to know, but this is not a matter to be talked about. [I] just said anybody who wants to dig into this matter has ill intentions toward the PPP. The matter is over. Why keep pestering me?

Reporter: This is news.

Samak: Which paper you work for? Tell me.

Reporter: Does it matter?

Samak: It does.

excerpts - small parts of a larger text
pester - annoy, cause trouble for
dig into this matter - look and investigate in more detail
ill intentions - do not want to succeed, want to fail

Insulting reporters

Samak's most offensive remark was a question about whether the reporter had immoral sex the previous night.

The above text shows there was nothing the Siam Rath reporter said to offend the PPP leader. Instead, he appeared humble and showed Samak respect by addressing him as "sir".

Samak's conduct was different, especially his intrusion into the reporter's private life. What if the reporter asked Samak if a lack of sex the previous night had led him to vent his frustration on the reporter?

offensive remark - a rude and upsetting comment or statement
humble - not acting like you are better than other people
show respect - expressing politeness and honour towards someone
intrusion - disturbing privacy, entering a private place or conversation
private life - life with family and friends, not to be viewed by other people
vent his frustration on - expressing anger by being rude to an completely innocent and irrelevant person

A reporter's job is to ask tough questions

Samak also ridiculed the other reporters, saying that at their age their experience was no match for his.

To quote Samak: "Again, another one. Do you want to trap me? No way. Count your ages first. How old are the three of you? What is your duty? I have my duty. Is your duty to dig [into the matter] to destroy the party? Answer my question!"

But sir, age alone does not reflect maturity. In this case, I am confident the three reporters are all more mature than Samak even if the latter is over 70 and has gone through many ups and downs in his political career. And imagine, the man aspires to become the next prime minister.

A reporter's job is to ask questions, sometimes tough questions. If Samak does not like the questions, he can simply ignore them or say he doesn't want to answer them. He can just walk away if pestered by reporters. I recommend Samak and the PPP scrap all future press conferences if they cannot stand tough questions. If the going gets too tough, they can pack up and go home.

ridiculed - insult, embarass, shame
no match for - not equal to, not as great as
reflect - show
maturity - completely developed mentally and emotionally, behave in a responsible way
aspires to become - has a desire to become something higher
scrap - eliminate, put an end to
press conferences - a meeting when an important public figure talks to reporters and the media
cannot stand - cannot endure, cannot put up with
going gets too tough - when many problems arise, when a situation becomes difficult to deal with
pack up - put your clothes in your suitcase before you leave the hotel

Veera Prateepchaikul is Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Post Publishing Co Ltd.

Answer Key:

1. What did Thaksin mean in his famous remark: "The UN is not my father!"

It means "the UN will not tell me what to do like my father tells me what to do."

2. In what situation did he make this remark?

When he was being questioned by reporters about human rights abuses.

3. What was Thaksin's attitude towards the media during his administration?

a. Not on good terms with the media.
b. Treated media with contempt.

4. How did Thaksin express contempt towards the media?

a. Lost his cool under intense questioning.
b. Shot back at reporters.
c. Demanded to know which publication reporters worked for.
d. Had harsh words for reporters.
e. Convinced long-term clients to abandon a publication as punishment.
f. Lodged multi-million baht defamation against media critics.

5. How does Samak compare to Thaksin in his contempt for the media?

a. Samak has much more contempt for the media than Thaksin did.
b. Samak does not hesitate to show hostility at questions he does not like.

("But Thaksin's contempt for the media pales when compared to his heir, Samak Sundaravej, leader of the Thai Rak Thai's incarnation, the People Power party (PPP).")

6. What are some of the rude ways that Samak avoids media questions? (Make a list)

a. I have no duty to explain.
b. Were you hired by somebody?
c. I don't need to answer this question.
d. Don't ask me like I'm in court,
e. Don't pester me.
f. Why do you ask?
g. What people [want to know] ? Show me the list.
h. ...this is not a matter to be talked about.
i. ...anybody who wants to dig into this matter has ill intentions toward the PPP.
j. The matter is over.
k. Why keep pestering me?
l. Which paper you work for? Tell me.

7. What was Samak's most offensive remark to a reporter during the press conference?

An irrelevant question about whether they had immoral sex last night.
The only purpose of the question being to insult the reporter.

8. Why was the remark offensive?

It was offensive because it intruded into the reporters private life which was none of Samak's business and had nothing to do with the questions that the reporter was asking.

9. What is a reporter's job?

To ask questions, sometimes tough questions.