This 66- page report assesses the business challenges faced by the country’s local media outlets. The report is based on research conducted from April-August 2018, as well as data gathered during the three years that MDIF has been running its business capacity building initiative, the Myanmar Media Program (MMP).
MDIF’s research identified 55 local media outlets operating in Myanmar’s seven ethnic states and seven regions that serve the information needs of particular geographic areas or ethnic nationalities. It found that local media establishment has surged since the political opening in 2011, with 38 of the 55 media launched over the past 7 years. The research confirmed that the largest number of local media outlets are located in Chin State, Shan State and Sagaing Region, and there is at least one media outlet in each of the country’s seven ethnic states. An interactive map produced by MDIF shows the locations and basic information about each of the 55 outlets.
The existence of dozens of local media in Myanmar may suggest a healthy environment for these outlets, but the report identifies multiple internal and external obstacles that severely hamper their prospects for sustainability and continued existence. Most notable among them are uneven advertising market development, continuing government domination of the media sector, and an uneven digital media transition.
Click here for full report.