Journalistic Role Performance in Thai-Language Online News Tagged <i>#Patike</i> (Gay Party)

This study examines how Thai-language online news covers gay men involved in <i>Party n Play</i> (PNP) activities. Analyzing 32 articles tagged #patike (#gayparty) from 11 Thai publications between 2019 and 2024, the research uses a six-dimension framework of journalistic role performance. The findings show that Thai journalists most often adopt infotainment (86%), loyal-facilitator (76%), and intervention (67%) roles. Conversely, civic (14%) and service (24%) roles are significantly underrepresented. The analysis reveals that Thai media coverage of gay men in criminal contexts is characterized by sensationalism, moral judgment, and uncritical support for law enforcement, while failing to provide public health information or community perspectives. This study concludes that these journalistic practices contribute to the perpetuation of societal prejudices against marginalized groups in non-Western contexts and highlights the urgent need for more responsible and nuanced media representation of non-normative communities in Thailand. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of journalistic role performance by applying the framework to a non-Western cultural and linguistic context, challenging Western-centric discourse in journalism studies.