Burma’s state-owned newspapers are taking up the change with attempts to
fine-tune themselves in the direction of restructuring as ‘Public Service
Media’.
As a result, the government of
Burma (Myanmar) has formed the five-member Governing Body in order to transform
the three dailies – Myanma Alin, Kyemon and the New Light of Myanmar –
currently run by the Ministry of Information into Public Service Media (PSM)
under Notification No 72/2012 dated 18-10-2012, the state-run media said on 20
October.
Ye Tint, retired Chief Editor of
the Kyemon Daily, is the chairman of the Governing Body and the secretary is
Kyaw Soe, Managing Director of News and Periodicals Enterprise. Three other
members are Ye Myint Pe (retired Chief Editor of Myanma Alin Daily), Ye Naing
Moe (Journalism Expert) and Kyaw Zaw Naing (Legal Expert) respectively.
On 20 December, correspondents
from The New Light of Myanmar observed the initiative of PSM by interviewing
the governing body’s chairman Ye Tint and members Ye Myint Pe and Kyaw Zaw
Naing.
Firstly, one of the
correspondents asked about opinion on the comment an MP recently made at the
parliament that the democratic government needn’t run the state-owned
newspapers anymore.
Chairman of the Governing Body
explained that the people used to call the government-owned newspaper as the
government controlled daily. However, it
is undeniable that some democratic countries have their own papers or
government mouthpieces. If the newspapers are being transformed into public
service newspapers, they would cover the desires of the people, he said. ‘Public Service Media’ (PSM) has to speak on
behalf of the people in favor of reforms with due transparency. To contribute
to the welfare of the people is the most important and any newspaper that fails
to meet the people’s demands would fall, he added.
Another question is about the
policies and work plans of the governing body to improve “form and content” of
the newspapers.
The content is a general matter,
Ye Tint answered. The government spends
its money to improve the ‘form’ in the long run providing journalism courses to
have ability over reporting. The Governing Body would urge the newspapermen to
commit their job while the body has been fulfilling the capability in
reporting, he explained. The courses
cover both journalism basics and legal matters in which the journalists are
weak, he said. The Governing Body has plans to open a School of Journalism, he
added.
Another interesting question was
what kinds of changes for switching government-owned newspapers into Public
Service Media.
Chairman Ye Tint mentioned the
Notification No. 72/2012 of the Union Government dated 18-10-2012 states that
the newspapers would be transformed into Public Service Media (PSM). All the
news stories must represent all the citizens, it says. According to the
governing body’s work plans, ‘prestige and profit’ would be the main concern,
Ye Tint said. He also said that the PSM will be granted ‘editorial
independence’ as well as ‘financial independence’ later.
According to a Government
Notification No. 72/2012, the Governing Body will put into service essential
policies and programmes, draw necessary ethics and principles for the
newspapers and supervise the task for realization of principles of Public
Service Media so as to transform Myanma Alin, Kyemon and The New Light of
Myanmar to public service media outlets.
As he explained more details, the
chief editors, deputy-chief editors and editors
who are included in the executive board would be guaranteed to take
advantage of ‘editorial independence’. Gradual transformation of Myanma Alinn
and Kyemon into PSMs will be completed by August 2013 while The New Light of
Myanmar will be run under a joint venture, he said.
He continued explanations that
information on guiding principles will be provided in details. PSMs will
publish scholastic articles as well. Depending on the value of the news,
further news will be edited as necessary.
PSMs will be created as genuine Fourth Estate through the public opinion
and the newspapers will carry constructive criticisms against Three Estates.
The policies of the government will be revealed in a more eye-catching style of
inscription. The size of the newspapers will be modified to the
international-standard dimension.
Kyaw Zaw Naing answered the query
concerning journalism training to improve the “form and content”, rather than
teaching theories. He said that theory is important. Journalists need to learn
theories to know ‘codes of ethics’ and ‘codes of conduct’ of each newspaper.
They need to know ethics to avoid possible risks. The Code of Ethic is
concerned with everyone and the Code of Conduct with each newspaper house, he
said.
In the legal perspective, today’s
newspapers cover many news items that could be prosecuted, he said. The
journalists need to know the law was necessary knowledge. For example, the
person who is not found guilty by a court cannot be mentioned as a “culprit”.
The law does not favour the unknowing error, Kyaw Zaw Naing clarified.
He also clarified the main task
of PSM as to inform the public about the government policy. However, it may be
tough changing overnight the old practice. The governing body is to work as a
mechanism for change. The governing body is an organization helping the
newspapers smoothly transform into a public service newspaper. The governing
body does not represent the people but it is the people-oriented organization,
Kyaw Zaw Naing, a legal professional, said during the interview with
journalists from The New Light of Myanmar.
One of the new five-member
Governing Body, Ye Naing Moe told AFP in October that the new governing body
will slowly replace the information ministry in overseeing the state press.
“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 per
cent independence, but I hope we can have enough to push through this
transformation.”
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