People hold a copy of The Post at a newsstand in Phnom Penh. Heng Chivoan
Politicians, analysts and civil society organisations agree that The Phnom Penh Post has given accurate, ethical and professional information over its 30 years of covering Cambodian current affairs, contributing significantly to the promotion of democracy, rights and freedoms in the Kingdom.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said The Post has played an important role in relaying accurate social, political and economic information to the public.
“The Phnom Penh Post has through its professional news coverage played a role in helping people make informed decisions.
“Over these past 30 years, The Post has relayed masses of information, and I have used a lot of references from the newspaper in a lot of fields, while its reporters have also used my work. It is especially important that the newspaper is printed in two languages, Khmer and English,” Phea said.
Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) spokesman Sok Eysan said that compared to other media outlets, particularly those online, the ethics and the professionalism of The Post mean that people can trust its coverage, with its stories factual and not exaggerated or fabricated.
Eysan said trust is all important in journalism. Media outlets that strayed from ethics and professionalism, publishing articles without basis in fact, lost all creditability and were left with a tarnished reputation.
“I find that in order for people to have trust in a news outlet, then it must adhere to ethics and write responsibly with only information based on the events as they occurred. We cannot fabricate them. I say this in good faith because The Post reporters have always acted professionally and ethically,” he said.
Thach Setha, vice-president of the Candlelight Party, said he respects the coverage The Post has provided for three decades.
“We have seen all the news that The Post has published over the years, so we trust and take it seriously because of its professionalism, regardless of political affiliations,” he said.
He called on The Post continue publishing professional and unbiased reporting, providing accurate information for the people and politicians to use as a valid basis for making informed decisions.
Grassroots Democratic Party (GDP) spokesman Loek Sothea praised The Post for its professionalism and taking a neutral stance. He said The Post had always used a variety of sources to provide comprehensive information.
“I think the presence of The Post in Cambodia had greatly helped in building democracy, free speech and access to information for the people.
“The Post has been doing a good job compared to other media in the Kingdom, perhaps only second in all of Cambodian media outlets. I am not talking about followers, but the neutrality and professionalism of The Post,” Sothea said.
Am Sam Ath, deputy director of rights group LICADHO, said The Post had played an important role in sharing information with all people. Despite a change in ownership, The Post has still played an important role as an international newspaper locally.
“I find that The Post has a lot of readers and is considered independent, though it has received some criticism after the change in ownership. However, The Post still plays an important role as an international newspaper in the country,” he said.
Political analyst Em Sovannara said he is also a reader, often using articles in The Post to form the basis for analysis and research because the paper provides factual and comprehensive information.
