Myanmar
In 2011 the Myanmarese government initiated a series of reforms including a relaxation of its harsh censorship on the country's media. While IMS was previously engaged primarily with supporting media to ensure a regular flow of objective and independent information to the people in Myanmar from the outside, the recent developments show signs of positive progress. With new opportunities and challenges for the country's often young journalists, IMS in close partnership with local media, will be looking to support the work of local journalists and the creation of a sustainable media sector to support the country’s emerging democracy.Archive
- Another step towards liberalising Myanmar's media
- Reforming media law in Myanmar
- New times ahead for media in Myanmar
- Looking forward in Myanmar
- Landmark conference on media development in Myanmar
- Conference on media development in Myanmar
- A new generation of photojournalists nurtured in Myanmar
- Myanmar’s government eases control of the media
- Change is in the air: An assessment of media development challenges and opportunities in Myanmar
- Stop cyber attacks against independent Burmese media
- Burmese video journalists in the running for an Oscar
- Burma documentary hits box office record in UK
- Broad support in Denmark for Burmese VJs
- Support rally for Burma VJs in Copenhagen
- Speech by Thomas Hughes at the sixth Burma Media Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 21-23 February 2009
- Next steps for Burmese media
- Burma film won prize at Sundance Festival
- Two awards to film about Burmese journalists
- Burmese journalists portrayed in new documentary film
A new generation of photojournalists nurtured in Myanmar
 |
As Myanmar emerges from 50 years of military rule, the Yangon Photo Festival showcases a previously more suppressed journalistic profession to the outside world
"This is exhilarating. For the first time in 50 years it's possible to produce and show politically related stories inside the country. These are sure signs that we are experiencing the first days of a new era towards democracy and press freedom", said one of the festival participants who strives to become a photojournalist himself.
Launched four years ago by the French Institute in Myanmar and photographer Christophe Loviny with the support of International Media Support (IMS), the festival is an opportunity for local budding photojournalists to showcase their work.
Preparing new journalists for Myanmar's burgeoning media
One photojournalist in the making, 25-year-old Seng Mai (seen embracing the event's patron and president of the jury Aung San Suu Kyi above) won an award for her work to draw public attention to renewed fighting between the Burmese Army and the Kachin Independence Army in northern Myanmar with the multimedia photo-film "Life Garden" (below).
Alongside Seng Mai almost a hundred photographers have attended workshops and professional training seminars throughout the past year to foster a new generation of photojournalists in a country until now ranked bottom in most press freedom rating indexes.
"As the first such program in Myanmar, the Yangon Photo Festival is nurturing a new generation of multimedia journalists ready to work for the burgeoning Myanmar newspapers, TV channels and news websites", says Christophe Loviny, photographer and co-organiser of the festival.
"We train and develop photojournalists to document their society using the most up-to-date and sophisticated tools."
Attended by over 1500 people, the fourth Yangon Photo Festival was hosted at the French Institute in Yangon and displayed the works of both international and local photojournalists.
For more information and photos from the festival, visit www.yangonphoto.com
Join IMS on facebook