Asia

Myanmar profile - Media

  • 2 May 2017
Burmese men reading newspapers Image copyright AFP
Image caption Pre-publication censorship of the press was lifted in 2014 as part of a move towards more media freedom

Strict media restrictions were eased after 2011 under former president, Thein Sein.

But media freedom has not been a priority for the democratically elected government that took office in 2016, says Reporters Without Borders.

The group says self-censorship is applied when reporting about officials and the military, and the authorities still exert pressure on the media, even intervening to change editorial policies.

The state controls the main broadcasters and publications and has a monopoly on telecommunications.

Media coverage of violence in Rakhine State is tightly controlled by the military and the government, says Freedom House.

Former exiled outlets Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima were selected in 2017 to operate digital TV channels under the auspices of state broadcaster MRTV.

Foreign broadcasters serving audiences in Myanmar include the BBC, Voice of America, and US-backed Radio Free Asia.

There were 1.3 million internet users by 2016 (InternetLiveStats.com). Users have taken to social media, with Facebook and Viber being popular destinations.

Freedom House says there has been a sharp rise in the number of defamation cases filed against people who have criticised the government online.

Press

Television

Radio

  • Myanmar Radio - state-run, operated by MRTV
  • City FM - run by Rangoon City Development Committee
  • Shwe FM - commercial
  • Cherry FM - commercial

News agency/internet

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