Sunday Times 2
Myanmar state media to change tune
View(s):YANGON, Oct 20 (AFP) -Myanmar’s state newspapers, long mouthpieces of the country’s former junta and army hardliners, signalled a historic change in focus on Saturday, announcing a plan to transform into “public service media”.
Three state-owned dailies — the English language New Light of Myanmar, its Burmese edition Myanma Alin and Kyemon (The Mirror) — are set for a revamp, with a new governing body, the newspapers reported.
Myanmar's state media to become 'public service' press (AFP)
The new committee will “adopt necessary policies and programmes, draw necessary ethics and principles… to transform (the newspapers) to public service media”, said the New Light of Myanmar. Myanmar’s state press has shown scant signs of modernising — except for an increase in celebrity gossip — since the country began its reforms under a quasi-civilian regime last year.
But the information ministry recently indicated a willingness to ease its grip on the government mouthpieces as changes bring new freedoms to the country’s private media, which was long muted by some of the world’s most draconian censorship.
“In the past, state-owned media only represented the views of the government and the parliament. It was one-sided,” deputy information minister Ye Htut told AFP last month, adding that the newspapers would be allowed to criticise government policy.
“The ministry will gradually step back and we will fill the vacuum in the future. They will even sell some shares, although not all,” he told AFP. “I don’t think we will have 100 percent independence, but I hope we can have enough to push through this transformation.”He said the state newspapers used to be “very far from public service”, adding that now the priority would be to “amplify the voices of the voiceless people and minorities”.I
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