This document summarizes a presentation on guerrilla reporting in Burma. It discusses the Democratic Voice of Burma, an independent media organization, and the challenges they faced reporting under a repressive military regime. It also touches on the historical political context in Burma and lessons learned about media development. Key points mentioned include the importance of independent media in a non-democratic state and how assumptions that media development inevitably leads to democracy can be debated.
1. MID Symposium: Mainstreaming media in international development
School of International Development, University of East Anglia, 1st April 2014 Ricardo D'Aguiar
2. Media Development: Guerrilla Reporting in Burma
INTRODUCTION
- The Democratic Voice of Burma
Based on my interview with Aye Chan Naing, executive
director and chief editor of the DVB, 2014
- Historical/Political Context
Based on M. Charney's A Hostory of Modern Burma, 2009
- Media Development Lessons
Based on M. Chowdhury's The Role of the Internet on
Burma's Saffron Revolution, 2008 & G. Berger's
Problematizing 'media development' as a bandwagon gets
rolling, 2010
12. As indicated earlier, much thinking around ‘media development’ operates with a broadly western-style democratic
agenda. This may be distinct from a development agenda, but both vantage points (democracy and development) may
serve as rationales for media mobilization, and they may often share similar assumptions about media effects. (Berger
2010, 557).
Notwithstanding this, the mere existence of a diverse and plural media is no guarantee of an effective antidote to corrupt
or despotic state actions. The point is that assumptions that ‘media development’ will inevitably contribute to democracy
are open to debate and question (Berger 2010, 558).
Media Development: Guerrilla Reporting in Burma
The democratic voice of burma - dvb
14. REFERENCES
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Berger, G. (2010) Problematizing ‘Media Development’ as a Bandwagon Gets Rolling,
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