To Analyze Media Profile in Myanmar

Historical Backdrop.

Media Profile.

Major Challenges.

Laws Governing Media.

16 Pt Directive.

Conclusion.

Historically, Burma was a monarchy ruled by variousprevious empires during the 19th century.

The British colonized Burma in the late 19th century and it was under the jurisdiction of the British Raj until 1937. Burma was ruled as a British colony from the 1820s until 1948.

Later, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nuh as its first Prime Minister.

Democratic rule ended in 1962 when General Ne Win led a military coup d'état. Media censored. A new constitution was drafted in 2007/2008.

In 2010 elections held and democratic govt replaced Milrule after

5 decades, named The Union of Republic of Myanmar.

Population : 60 Million (2010)

Media Profile

Print Media• Myanmar`s first newspaper, The Maulmain

Chronicle, was published in 1836 as an English

weekly.

• More than 300 publications and 100 are loc at

Yangon and areas around.

• 6 dailies - op and owned by the state.

• 3 dailies are distr free.

• News and analysis about a week old.

• On 1 April 2013, the “first date” newspapers could

be published freely.

• 04 privately owned dailies – The Voice Daily,

Golden Fresh Land, The Standard Time Daily, and

The Union Daily – hit news stands on the same day.

• News feeds from PTI, Reuters and Myanmar

News Agency.

News Paper Market Share

Myanmar Ahlin 52 %

Kyeimon 42 %

Yandanbon 3 %

Mandalay News 2 %

The New Light of Myanmar 1 %

Weeklies Market Share

First Eleven 24 %

7 Day News 21 %

Weekly Eleven News 19 %

In Arr 13 %

Premier Eleven 10 %

• Due to poor infra and electricity reach of other

media is ltd.

• Radio is the main source of info and

entertainment.

• 16 state owned/ pvt AM/FM radio stns are active.

• Reliance on BBC and VOA for news and current

affairs.

• Stations are mainly loc at Yangon, Mandalay and

other major cities only.

• Reach in Chin, Sagyang and Kachin regions is

almost negligible.

• Facilities and quality of production is very

Radi

o

Service Popularity

Myanmar Radio 23 %

Padaukmyay 5%

Shwe FM 4 %

Mandalay FM 4 %

Ruby FM, BBC, Pyinsawaddy FM,

and VOA2 %

City FM, RFA, Bagan FM and Cherry

FM1 %

Thailand radio 0.1 %

All India Radio, DVB and China radio 0.02 %

Broadcast Media

Televisi

on• Television broadcasting in Burma began in 1979

as a test trial in Yangon.

• Regular television service was first formally

launched in 1981.

• Most television channels in the country are

broadcasting from Yangon. TV Myanmar and

Myawaddy TV are the two main ch.

• Other channels are Myawaddy 1 & 2 (MWD-1-2),

MRTV-4 (non-formal edn prog and movies and Movie

5 is a pay-TV.

• Myanmar International for overseas audiences via

satellite and internet.

• Channel 3 (Thailand).

Internet and Social Media

• Only 03 ISPs.

• Myanmar Teleport (MTP).

• Yatamarpon Teleport (YTP).

• Info Tech Central Services (ITCS).

• Reach is only 0.8 %, mostly around main cities.

• Accessed mainly through internet café`.

• Increasing amongst young users due to 03 mobile

operators

since 2011.

• Mobile operators : Ooredoo, Telenor and MTP.

• Poor availability due to 50 years of censorship.

Intern

et

Internet and Social Media

• Were punishable and banned by the Junta till mid

2011.

• Over 30000 web sites were blocked.

• Post democratic rule - norms have been relaxed.

• All platforms Youtube, Facebook, twitter are now

available.

• E mail services are permitted now.

• A lot of journalists use facebook to post their

Social

Media

Exile Media• Plays an imp role in disseminating info.

Democratic Voice of Burma TV ch, Mizzima and

Irrawaddy Websites are widely viewed and read.

• Op from various countries, have under cover

reporters in the country.

• Post 2011 some have started to come back.

• Accused of brain drain.

Cinema

• The cinema of has a long history dating back to

the 1910s.

• First film was a recording of the funeral of Tun

Shein.

• Total 49 film companies are in business.

• Has mostly been privatized with riders.

• Total 71 theaters are in operation.

• 06 mini theaters have opened up between 2009-

2011.

• Production tech is old.

The Burma Wireless Telegraphy Act (1933) - Britishgovernment in colonial times, made it an offence to have inpossession any wireless telegraphy apparatus withoutpermission. The act was amended in 1995/96 by the junta toinclude fax machines and computers.

Printers and Publishers Registration Law (1962) - Requiresall publishers to submit copies of books and magazines topress scrutiny boards prior to publication for alterations.

Martial Law Order 3/89 (1989) - Makes it an offence topublish any document without prior registration from theHome and Religious Affairs Ministry.

The Television and Video Act (1995) - Requires the publicand org who possess televisions and video equipment toobtain a license from the Ministry of Communication.

The Motion Picture Law (1996) - Licenses to make filmsmust be obtained from the Myanmar Motion PictureEnterprise, which are later censored if necessary.

The Computer Science Development Law (1996) - Media tohave prior permission from the Ministry of Communicationbefore using, importing or possessing computer equipment.

Internet Law (2000) - Imposes regulations on postings onthe Internet that may be deemed to be detrimental to thecountry, its policies or security affairs.

Electronic Transactions Law (2004) - Regulates the Internetand other electronic transactions in a wide variety of ways,including defining penalties of up to 15 years in prison forusing electronic transactions.

• To commit any act detrimental to the security of the State or prevalence of lawand order or community peace and tranquility or national solidarity or nationaleconomy or national culture.

• For receiving/sending and distributing any info relating to the security of theState or prevalence of law and order or community peace and tranquility ornational solidarity, economy or culture.

16 Pt Directive

• Use the three cardinal rules on the duties of

citizens in an inappropriate way.

• Write about or comment on the govt and its

policies in a -ve way.

• Write article that could harm Myanmar`s

international relations.

• Write about corruption, illegal drug production

and tfc, human tfc, forced labour or child soldiers

without reliable sources of info.

• Write articles sp indl or org that act against the

state.

• Write insulting articles about the govt`s economic

policies.

• Pub articles with economic data or photos

Do

Not….

• Show parts of the human body that are contrary

to Myanmar`s culture or clothing style or show an

obscene posture.

• Promote gambling or predict results.

• Write about ghosts, vampires or treasure hunts

and do not write other kinds of mystery stories or

disseminate irrational ideas that could create

confusion in children.

• Publish alcohol or tobacco ads.

• Write articles or show photos about crimes

committed by minors.

• Show or publish photos or articles that could

scare public.

• Employ Buddhist usages and words from the

literature of other religions.

Do

Not….

• In any article critical of govt or pvt sect

procedures, give the exact time, place, name and

org. Have reliable sources of info and proof.

• The appropriate Burmese translation should be

applied in expressing the headline and the titles of

the books rather than using their English names.

Maj Challenges

• Quality and std of journalism due to avg age

profile.

• Primitive laws.

• Shifting of C of G from state to the people.

• Self censoring mindset.

• Reqmt of new tech in a short span.

• Tech expertise to production quality.

• Finance to sustain.

• Circulation to remote areas.

• Fear of possible return of mil rule.

• Trg of media pers.*• British, French and US Embassy premises, trg on elections by Indian Embassy.• IMS, Myanmar Egress, Internews, DFID (Pyoe Pin Programme), and Indo-China Media Memorial Foundation (ICMMF)

Conclusion