The Ministry of Information’s censor board suspended this week’s issue of the Phoenix Journal after it published several censored news articles.
The journal, which comes out every Thursday, was also told by the board to publish only entertainment news in its future issues.
A source inside the censor board said the permission to publish was only granted on Wednesday, 27 May 2009. By that time, the journal had decided to go ahead with the printing and distribution of the publication.
The journal community said that they do not have enough time to make the necessary changes if the censor board gives its final and approved copy on the day prior to the release of an issue.
The news story in question was the objection by “Eleven Media Group” against the “Lucky Eleven” advertisement by the Yangon Media Group in its 27 May issue.
Though the economic impact on the new journal by a week’s suspension is not much, the impact on its marketing will be a bit high, sources said.