The most derided newspaper in Myanmar is trying to shed its reputation as an evil regime mouthpiece, so it has hired a group of foreigners.
For the last few months three new recruits – an American and two Australians – have been quietly helping the Global New Light of Myanmar with its mission to liberalise and appeal to readers amid new competition.
Oppressively dull pieces about the movements of government officials or the minutiae of onion farming in Pyawbwe are still a mainstay, but now there are also folksy, well-penned feature stories on subjects including a dilapidated Yangon bowling alley and an entrepreneur who makes lovely rattan furniture.
And there is a social page, featuring pictures from wild expat parties and glitzy corporate ceremonies, often accompanied by sarcastic captions that are a world away from the stiff propaganda of the old days.
“The paper is changed and its works are in full swing,” declares the publication’s website. The GNLM needs to be “more attractive and people-oriented,” it adds.
“There are still a lot of things to improve,” said Jessica Mudditt, an Australian consulting editor who joined the paper after working in Myanmar as a freelance reporter, “but the desire is there to make it a better newspaper and continue to improve it.”
Critics see the changes as superficial. “In reality, it’s still propaganda for the current government,” said Ko Han Thar, a co-founder of Kamaryut Media, a popular independent Myanmar-language news service. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)
No comments:
Post a Comment