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"The advertising budget of government agencies may affect press freedom, so we should ban it," said Boonlert Kachayudhadej, spokesman of the committee on media and information technology reform.

He was speaking yesterday after attending a meeting of the committee.

Boonlert said press freedom must be protected to ensure the mass media including new media fulfilled its public duty.

"The government and mass-media owners must not restrict freedom, as long as the media works in line with professional and ethnical standards," he said.

Boonlert said the committee also determined that the definition of mass media must be updated in response to changing circumstances.

"The mass media is no longer just about television stations, radio stations or newspapers anymore. We need to cover new media too," he said.

He said that if self-regulatory bodies were in place and effective in ensuring mass media members complied with ethics, a legal response would not be needed.

"But if these bodies can't efficiently control their members, legal measures will become necessary," he said.

Boonlert said his committee would submit its recommendations to the Constitution Drafting Assembly on December 10.

"The National Reform Council will also convene its sessions between December 15 and 17 so that all its 18 committees can deliberate on their ideas, principles and recommendations," he added.

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Reformers want ban on govt buying advertising