The Constructive Cambodian

The holocaust monument in Berlin, one of many places in Germany where people can learn about and remember the horrendous chapter in the country’s history.

In the last decade blogs have become a popular way for Cambodian’s to passionately voice their opinions on current events in the Kingdom. One of the most successful examples is the socio-political blog KI-Media, which recently celebrated 10 million hits just over 5 years after its launch. Despite its achievement, KI-Media could do more to raise its standard of blogging, if not through citizen journalism, at least by staying true to their founding mission and playing a more influential role in the distribution of information.

KI-Media began its operation in early 2000s as an email list-serve meant to distribute sensitive news and information related to Cambodian politics. Their first blog in 2005 was video of an interview with Chhay Vee detailing the 1997 grenade attack on SRP supporters in Phnom Penh. The blog now reuses contents from a wide range of sources without linking to the original sites, but rarely breaks their own unique stories.

Despite the fact that it has become one of the most read blogs among Cambodians and expatriates interested in the nation’s affairs, its content and sourcing have become one of the major setbacks in how citizen media is perceived in Cambodia. Its popularity may reflect public satisfaction with the site; however its role in centralizing Cambodia-related news and information needs to be questioned