Myanmar adventure: Media and Hope
Aug 10th, 2009 by bjoern
After I finally socialised with Singapore and my new beloved home in Southeast-Asia and thought I will get bored soon the “Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association” invited me from 20th until 24th July to a training-course for young journalists from private and state-owned media. That invitation was totally exeptional as Myanmar was not inviting any foreign journalist after their “Saffron Revolution” in 2007 and after some official visits I really got the visa and was together with an American colleague the first foreign journalists conduction a training-course inside the country.
After the one-week course, where I managed to see more than 50 young journalists in the training and around 250 young activists from the civil society, I was amazed by their hospitality and mood. As there will be elections in 2010 especially young people prepare for that “window of opportunity” and realise at the moment that the administration is opening up channels for cooperation. Therefore I was more than happy to train journalists, which had never before any formal training – as the last journalism faculty closed thirty years ago. And I realised that you can read a lot about the country in our foreign media, scientific books and talks with people outside the country but it is very worth to experience the country before you finally make up your mind and paint all black and white. I realised that there is much grey and opportunities inside the country although the country is still a military junta with no democratic elements. But I was happy to assist with journalism experiences and skills and believes that such cooperation can assist their people. Attached you find an article, that I wrote in German for the journalism-magazine “M”, which explaines my experiences and introduces in the media landscape of Myanmar. I hope to be back soon to experience again the people and their country, which was an amazing adventure for me.
Article: Myanmar Challenges in journalism
