Another step towards liberalising Myanmar’s media

A year is a long time in politics and nowhere has it been more so than in Myanmar. While very much still in its early stages, the remarkable moves away from a centralized, often oppressive authority to something more democratic have been tantalizing

By Mizzima Media, Yangon for International Media Support (IMS)

For a transition such as Myanmar’s, an active, autonomous, and professional media sector is of paramount importance.

Given the past history of censorship and media control, establishing an effective Fourth Estate in Myanmar is not done through mere political proclamations. It will involve a participatory process that establishes and builds upon appropriate legal frameworks, along with moves towards implementing professional standards and upgrading both human and other resources in the media sector.

Improving the media environment in collaboration

With this in mind, and supported by the governments of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, two media regulation workshops held in late April brought together government officials, local and independent media representatives and outside experts to jointly move forward in improving Myanmar’s media environment.

Jointly organised by the Myanmar Ministry of information and IMS, the workshops, one for broadcast media on 23 April in Naypyitaw and one for print in Yangon on 25 April focused on key international standards, regulatory models, ethical standards, and sources, and the drafting of a broadcast regulatory framework.

Commending the joint efforts to create an conducive media environment, Jesper Højberg, Executive Director of IMS said:

“These workshops on media law are a result of the government’s commitment to media reform and willingness to include the country’s media actors in the drafting process, also drawing  on international expertise in this field.

“We hope that our support and the continuation of this inclusive process will help create an enabling environment for free media in Myanmar.”

Attended by representatives from the both private and state-owned broadcasters as well as the officials from Myanmar’s Ministry of Information, the broadcast workshop focused on establishing an independent oversight body free from political and commercial interference.

The workshop also included a key debate on content regulation, in which participants agreed, reminded of Myanmar’s strict censorship rules, that legislation ought to set certain standards rather than impose punishment.

The print media workshop in Yangon, was attended by leading private print media houses in Myanmar, including the formerly exiled Mizzima Media, together with officials from Ministry of Information, found they favoured a co-regulatory model, with democratically chosen body members.

The two workshops followed a landmark conference on media development in March 2011, which brought together over 200 representatives of the national and international media support community, the Myanmar government, and civil society organisations.

Read the full press release published following the two workshops here.