PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Culture held a workshop on November 1 to train content creators on social media to participate in the production of videos that help strengthen social ethics.
The workshop was held for two days from November 1-2 at the Ministry of Culture in Phnom Penh. Pok Borak, director of the Department of Cinematography and Cultural Promotion, said that currently some content creators produce videos under the guise of educational content. He said that the videos seriously affect culture and society, especially the values of women and children.
"These activities are anarchic in the production and promotion of entertainment content on social media because they are created without a clear source, without education, without proper professionalism and without considering the consequences that come from it," he said.
He said that the workshop aims to educate, share experiences and impart knowledge to those who are working as entertainment content creators and informal actors. His goal is to prevent lawlessness in the media and social media content by raising cultural values and reinforcing social morality.
Secretary for the Ministry of Culture, Hub Touch, reminded the public, especially the youth, to pay attention to cultural values and morals of Cambodian society in the digital age.
He said, "All of you have encountered and are also witnessing the loss or disappearance of cultural heritage, especially intangible cultural heritage, which is a sign of decline or lack of national cultural values. At the same time, social morality has declined significantly due to the current globalization of modern technology, and especially the use of digital technology. Regardless of the current impact, [we must be] in line with the promotion of social moral values”.
The secretary stated that Cambodia does not restrict innovation or expression of opinions in videos and other forms of media, but that appropriate measures must be taken to protect individuals, culture and security.
Sem Ratana, one of the most popular influencers in Cambodia, told reporters that he was happy to be part of the seminar and to be invited as a speaker. He said that the issue of creating content that affects traditional culture and women and children concerned him for a long time.
"We need more such programs, more strategies are needed. However, we have started, which is a a good starting point for today's society,” he said.
Cambodia has about 13 million Facebook users who use the platform to follow the news, make connections, share videos and make money from the huge social network. The Ministry says that some content creators have mislabeled their content as "education,” affecting the culture and traditions in Cambodia.
In June 2023, the Ministry of Culture summoned a group of video creators for the second time, accusing them of posting sexually explicit videos that violated Cambodian values under the banner of “social education.” In July 2023, two young men who posted erotic videos under the banner of “education” were sent to court after receiving complaints from those in the videos.
