{"id":2196710,"date":"2022-06-08T18:32:21","date_gmt":"2022-06-08T09:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/pro\/?p=2196710"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:12:18","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:12:18","slug":"how-south-koreas-exclusive-press-clubs-undermine-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/06\/how-south-koreas-exclusive-press-clubs-undermine-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"How South Korea\u2019s exclusive press clubs undermine democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Journalists in Seoul were less than impressed when they recently received a set of questions from Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s presidential office that seemed more like an interrogation than a form to apply for media access.<\/span><\/p>\n

The document on \u201c<\/span>identity verification<\/span><\/a>\u201d asked journalists to reveal their wealth, political donations or affiliations, along with similar prying questions about their spouses, parents and close acquaintances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As reporters voiced their outrage, the spokesperson <\/span>explained in a group chat<\/span><\/a> that the relocation of the presidential office required enhanced security. Foreign correspondents, meanwhile, were bewildered by <\/span>sections about their parents\u2019 occupations and whether they had relatives in North Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n

But one reporter at a major local paper raised an entirely different concern in the group messenger, asking why the presidential office had released the questionnaire without consulting with the press club. The correspondent was seemingly less concerned about the invasive questions than by the violation of the press club reporters\u2019 prerogatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the presidential office removed the controversial sections from the questionnaire, the incident and reporter\u2019s response highlighted the often too cozy relationship between press clubs and public officials in South Korea. The two have worked in tandem to shape the media environment to their own advantage, in ways that have weakened the fundamental watchdog role of the press in a democratic society.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

South Korean reporters at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul with then-President Moon Jae-in on Aug. 18, 2017 | Image: Cheong Wa Dae’s YouTube<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

MEMBERS ONLY<\/b><\/p>\n

It all begins in reporters\u2019 lounges, which are located in the presidential office, all 18 government ministries and most state-run organizations. Offering workspace and WiFi, a briefing area and a refreshment corner, the facilities are generally open to all registered media.<\/span><\/p>\n

But access is not equal. An exclusive pool of correspondents controls the flow of information and access to press briefings and events. Recognized unofficially as \u201cpool reporters\u201d by ministry staff, club members claim the best cubicles and front row seats at important media events. They also enjoy advance copies of press releases and regular access to key government figures, who provide important insights and tip-offs on crucial policies and issues in off-the-record \u201cback briefings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re not in the exclusive pool, you have to do your own digging and form networks to pool information, particularly among junior reporters and those who aren’t in the press club,\u201d according to Hwang Ho-jun, a former Blue House correspondent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The threshold for membership is high. It can be contingent on not only a journalist\u2019s rate of attendance at reporters\u2019 lounges and the size of their media organization, but also a PowerPoint presentation pitch by a correspondent, the length of their career in journalism and his or her overall congeniality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Journalists make painstaking efforts for months or even years to win over press club members, whose votes of approval must exceed 60% to gain entry at relatively easygoing ministries or even <\/span>90%<\/span><\/a> at judicial institutions and the presidential office.<\/span><\/p>\n

COOPED UP AT MINISTRIES<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s far from certain whether press club members\u2019 hard-earned privileges have led to better journalism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For a democracy to thrive, reporters on the ground should bring to light diverse perspectives and serve a broad range of interests. But South Korean reporters all \u201cflock to the institution, unlike foreign reporters who talk to people in the street,\u201d according to Park <\/span>Jae-yung, a professor of media at Korea University.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Park\u2019s<\/span> research in 2020<\/span><\/a> shows <\/span>70-92% of reporters at South Korea\u2019s largest media companies are assigned <\/span>to government ministries<\/span><\/a>, courts and the National Assembly, commuting to these places every day and rarely leaving the premises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their stories are filed from government cubicles, with their bylines decorating barely tweaked copies of press releases. A 2019 survey found <\/span>49% of all TV news content<\/span><\/a> was based on press releases, while original reporting accounted for only 15%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

A press briefing at South Korea’s foreign ministry in Seoul on Dec. 29, 2021 | Image: Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ YouTube<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Even when venturing outside the reporters\u2019 lounges, their enterprise stories are government-focused and <\/span>often overlap<\/span><\/a>, featuring the same issues, angles and even quotes from the same experts. This is hardly surprising as ministry correspondents move in the same circle every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result<\/span>, the Korean public is bombarded with \u201curgent\u201d news flashes of government-related news that fail to resonate or inspire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe press club culture that\u2019s centered on government ministries has instilled the notion that \u2018exclusives\u2019 based on sources within government is the recipe for a good article,\u201d said Park. \u201cThis creates a misunderstanding of what news actually is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Press clubs\u2019 efforts are thus often misdirected toward preserving exclusivity<\/span> at any given opportunity, barring other outlets from accessing vital information and <\/span>attending key events<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Without early press releases, non-press club media do not have the same luxury of time to prepare in-depth reports and prearrange interviews with top experts. As they\u2019re shut out from closed-door Q&A sessions on key policies, they also lose the chance to <\/span>grill policymakers in the interest of smaller regions, communities and minorities they represent.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, the range of issues and views that are brought to public attention become severely limited to mainstream topics and views, rather than serving diverse segments of South Korean society.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

South Korean journalists film President Yoon Suk-yeol as he presides over a meeting on May 13, 2022 | Image: South Korea’s Presidential Office<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

DAMAGING DEMOCRACY<\/b><\/p>\n

Most mainstream reporters would argue the current system is working.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHaving press clubs with vetted members ensures a high standard of reporting, and keeping correspondents in government buildings keeps authorities in check,\u201d a former broadcast reporter for YTN told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the reality appears to be the opposite.<\/span><\/p>\n

For one, by lapping up press releases and reporting mainly on ministry activities, journalists are handing over their agenda-setting power to the government. And by monopolizing access to key sources and information, press clubs are actually shielding officials from scrutiny by other outlets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, correspondents won\u2019t bite the hand that feeds them. A good relationship with officials is crucial to maintaining the flow of information and privileges. Press secretaries can pull the strings by rewarding journalists on their best behavior, or punishing those who they see as troublesome.<\/span><\/p>\n

After all, it is not public officials but reporters themselves who vote to sanction fellow journalists for breaking government-set embargos or offending ministry officials by \u201c<\/span>denting the press club\u2019s reputation<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Punishments can include buying <\/span>pizza and hamburgers<\/span><\/a> for their peers, a ban from getting press releases, being banished from the ministry for months and even having their correspondent status canceled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through such self-regulation and self-censorship, the press club system disciplines journalists without the government having to lift a finger to control the flow of information.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2014 Sewol Ferry incident is a prime example of how a complacent media environment led to journalistic failure. The nation\u2019s biggest broadcaster refrained from reporting that the ship had capsized after a phone call from the presidential office. Then, journalists briefed on the situation <\/span>merely parroted<\/span><\/a> the press secretary\u2019s remarks, erroneously declaring all on the boat had survived.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, South Koreans\u2019 trust in media has been critically low, scoring the worst among some 40 countries in a <\/span>2018 <\/span>Reuters<\/span><\/i> Institute Survey<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite <\/span>growing calls<\/span><\/a> and even<\/span> petitions<\/span><\/a> to close down reporters\u2019 lounges, the press cartel system has prevailed, preserving a culture of privilege that hurts the public interest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s up to the newsrooms to initiate change and pursue real journalism that benefits public interest,\u201d Park of Korea University told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Edited by Bryan Betts<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Culture & Society<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Journalists in Seoul were less than impressed when they recently received a set of questions from Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s presidential office that seemed more like an interrogation than a form to apply for media access. The document on \u201cidentity verification\u201d asked journalists to reveal their wealth, political donations or affiliations, along with similar prying questions about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3665,"featured_media":2196723,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[25],"yoast_head":"\nHow South Korea\u2019s exclusive press clubs undermine democracy - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/06\/how-south-koreas-exclusive-press-clubs-undermine-democracy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How South Korea\u2019s exclusive press clubs undermine democracy - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Journalists in Seoul were less than impressed when they recently received a set of questions from Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s presidential office that seemed more like an interrogation than a form to apply for media access. 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