Myanmar media professionals say they plan to set up their own media watchdog to monitor the work of their peers to make sure they adhere to ethical standards.
This was one of the important topics discussed October 15 at a meeting held by the Myanmar Journalism Institute in Yangon. A total of 23 media people with between two and 10 years of media work experience took part.
Speaking about the proposal to monitor the news media, Doh Taung Thu Journal Editor Ko Nai Min Wai said: “Doing it among ourselves [media personnel] is better than being criticized by others. If the media is monitored, we will know who is good and who is bad. And we will know who is ethical and who is unethical.”
Myanmar’s media has come in for some criticism by the government, media and NGO groups over instances of alleged unprofessional behavior and limited skills and capability.
The meeting discussed the difficulties that media people encounter, the weaknesses in the media’s ethics, the situations that reporters face in small towns, and salaries and the travelling expenses for reporters who need to visit distant towns, in addition to other subjects.
“I’ve witnessed that some [reporters] receive money from some people,” said Mawkun Magazine Editor Ko Kyaw Zayar Tun, referring to reporters being paid under the table by third parties to cover certain topics or companies.
“Now the media is just starting to develop. We have many things to learn. And we should monitor the people who are pursuing stories for their own profit in the name of the media,” he said.
Ko Kyaw Zayar Tun said that the government should facilitate the necessary training by experts instead of criticizing the weaknesses of the media.
The meeting participants decided to hold a forum on media ethics every third Wednesday of each month which any interested media personnel can attend.
