Published
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 20:33
Burma's weekly journals faced with declining readership
Declining readership has hit several news journals hard, leading to loss of revenue. This despite the fact that the Burmese military junta has relatively slackened its control over issuing of journal publishing license, editors in Rangoon said.
Htein Linn
Mizzima News
November 27, 2007
Mizzima News
November 27, 2007
Declining readership has hit several news journals hard, leading to loss of revenue. This despite the fact that the Burmese military junta has relatively slackened its control over issuing of journal publishing license, editors in Rangoon said.
Obtaining a journal publishing license has become relatively easier with the Burmese Information Ministry loosening its tight control. However, the decline in readership has caused several journals to suffer losses, Rangoon based editors and journal producers said.
"In Rangoon there are more than 100 news journals and each sell for 300 to 500 kyat. With the people weathering general economic hardship, they cannot afford to buy journals.
Besides, with the censorship board continuing to censor strictly, important and interesting news and information cannot be included. So, people are not interested in buying and reading the journals," an Editor of a news journal in Rangoon , who wished to remain anonymous, told Mizzima.
"These days it is easy for any body to obtain a publishing license. Most of the people who apply will get it. But even those who obtain the license cannot publish journals. Earlier, when the license was difficult to obtain, people had to hire from those who had. But it is different now. People do not want to publish because they know they will run at a loss. Some have even returned their license," Hein Latt, editor of the 'Popular journal' said.
Earlier those wishing to publish a journal had to hire a publishing license with a monthly rent of 20,000 kyat to 30,000 kyat depending on the number of copies. And to buy the license, it cost about 3,000,000 kyat (USD 2300), Rangoon based journal editors and publishers said.
"These days a publishing license is not a problem anymore. If we go through the right channel it is even easier and faster. Another way is to hire from those already having the license," a journalist in Rangoon said.
Even as the government gives more journal publishing licenses, the censorship board stopped two Rangoon based weeklies 'Snap Shot' and 'News Watch' – from publishing their journal for a week, Rangoon based editors and publishers said.
"What I heard about the 'Snap Shot' journal is that they translated Daw Suu's [detained opposition leader] statement and published it. That's why they were stopped for a week," a Rangoon based journalist said.
"I also heard that the 'Snap Shot' had been given a warning. And about two weeks earlier, during a meeting (of censorship board) officials said the 'Snap Shot' violated censorship rules. Violation of the rules means using articles that are not meant to be used. He [Snap Shot Editor Myat Khaing] is close to the Information Minister, so he must have been doing what ever he wanted to do," said another official from a Rangoon based journal.
The 'News Watch' journal has also been stopped from publishing its November 15 issue, for using an article on the meeting between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party leaders as their cover page article, the official added.
With more publishing license issued by the Burmese junta's Information Ministry, sources said, new journals such as the Myanmar Times and Mann Daw Yeik will soon appear in the markets in Burma's ancient city of Mandalay, besides the already existing Nan Myint, Shwe Mandalay and Upper Myanmar journals.
Obtaining a journal publishing license has become relatively easier with the Burmese Information Ministry loosening its tight control. However, the decline in readership has caused several journals to suffer losses, Rangoon based editors and journal producers said.
"In Rangoon there are more than 100 news journals and each sell for 300 to 500 kyat. With the people weathering general economic hardship, they cannot afford to buy journals.
Besides, with the censorship board continuing to censor strictly, important and interesting news and information cannot be included. So, people are not interested in buying and reading the journals," an Editor of a news journal in Rangoon , who wished to remain anonymous, told Mizzima.
"These days it is easy for any body to obtain a publishing license. Most of the people who apply will get it. But even those who obtain the license cannot publish journals. Earlier, when the license was difficult to obtain, people had to hire from those who had. But it is different now. People do not want to publish because they know they will run at a loss. Some have even returned their license," Hein Latt, editor of the 'Popular journal' said.
Earlier those wishing to publish a journal had to hire a publishing license with a monthly rent of 20,000 kyat to 30,000 kyat depending on the number of copies. And to buy the license, it cost about 3,000,000 kyat (USD 2300), Rangoon based journal editors and publishers said.
"These days a publishing license is not a problem anymore. If we go through the right channel it is even easier and faster. Another way is to hire from those already having the license," a journalist in Rangoon said.
Even as the government gives more journal publishing licenses, the censorship board stopped two Rangoon based weeklies 'Snap Shot' and 'News Watch' – from publishing their journal for a week, Rangoon based editors and publishers said.
"What I heard about the 'Snap Shot' journal is that they translated Daw Suu's [detained opposition leader] statement and published it. That's why they were stopped for a week," a Rangoon based journalist said.
"I also heard that the 'Snap Shot' had been given a warning. And about two weeks earlier, during a meeting (of censorship board) officials said the 'Snap Shot' violated censorship rules. Violation of the rules means using articles that are not meant to be used. He [Snap Shot Editor Myat Khaing] is close to the Information Minister, so he must have been doing what ever he wanted to do," said another official from a Rangoon based journal.
The 'News Watch' journal has also been stopped from publishing its November 15 issue, for using an article on the meeting between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party leaders as their cover page article, the official added.
With more publishing license issued by the Burmese junta's Information Ministry, sources said, new journals such as the Myanmar Times and Mann Daw Yeik will soon appear in the markets in Burma's ancient city of Mandalay, besides the already existing Nan Myint, Shwe Mandalay and Upper Myanmar journals.
