MBC’s investigative program ‘Straight’ is examining both the rapid spread of news outlets and problems in medical settings involving the sedative propofol.
In an episode airing on the 26th, ‘Straight’ presents “Proliferating Media, Broken Trust,” focusing on the reality behind the surge in registered news organizations.
Since the establishment of the South Korean government, about 64,000 news outlets have been launched. About 28,000 are currently active. With registration requirements eased and one-person media expanding on platforms such as YouTube, virtually anyone can claim to be engaged in journalism.
‘Straight’ tracked whether the growing number of outlets are performing journalism’s core role. The producers reported on practices such as using critical articles as leverage to demand advertising or sponsorship from companies; a journalists’ association that allegedly collected millions of won in training fees after promoting lectures by using celebrities’ names without authorization; and a news outlet accused of selling press credentials for money.
The program also looks at how a single owner or a specific corporation can operate multiple outlets by splitting them into separate entities. It also examines some media-registered YouTubers who run channels after registering as online news outlets and spread false information, including claims of election fraud conspiracies.
The broadcast also includes a segment titled “Propofol’s Two Faces.”
‘Straight’ said it obtained CCTV footage from an operating room at a plastic surgery clinic in Seoul and traced a death that occurred during sedation anesthesia. A man in his 50s receiving a cosmetic procedure suffered severe brain damage during sedation and later died. The hospital said it took the best possible measures as physicians, but the CCTV reviewed by the producers shows medical staff not taking immediate emergency steps.
The producers examine why deaths linked to sedation anesthesia keep recurring and what practical measures could better protect patients. The program also reports that propofol, a highly addictive controlled drug, is being sold at some plastic surgery and dermatology clinics as if it were an add-on product for cosmetic procedures.
It also points to a system in which propofol oversight effectively depends heavily on the conscience and discretion of medical staff.
‘Straight’ airs at 8:30 p.m. on the 26th.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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