Lower House Passes New Media Bill

The Lower House of Myanmar’s parliament last week approved a new media bill as part of its bid to promote media development within the country.
The details of the bill have not yet been revealed as it has now been passed to the Upper House for approval, but the new bill is expected to open an opportunity for those moving into the media industry.
When announcing the new bill, the Lower House stressed the need for professional accountability when it comes to online media.
Myanmar began making amendments to media in the country in 2011 as the country began to open up. In August 2012, the Press Scrutiny Board was abolished, meaning that print media was no longer subjected to pre-publication censorship, while earlier this year, the government made it possible for private daily newspapers to become available and since then 31 private daily newspapers have been granted permission for publication.
The TV industry has begun to change too. Earlier this year, formerly underground dissident group Democratic Voice of Burma, was given permission to begin operations within the country.