MPC ads beyond necessity, media group says
The Myanmar Press Council (Interim) is causing false alarms against press freedom through its advertisement, said Eleven Media Group.
The media group, which is a business partner of this paper, responded negatively to the advertisements recently placed in daily and weekly private newspapers.
The ads pose the following questions to readers: “Is the news you read inaccurate? Does the news you read come from unreliable sources? Does media expression undermine your reputation?” The ads also invite readers to file complaints against news outlets with the interim MPC. The address of the interim MPC is included in the ads.
“We believe that the MPC is exaggerating the risk posed by free press. People harmed by media reporting already know they can complain to media outlets and publishing houses. The MPC’s ads also refer to abnormal circumstances,” the media group said in an unofficial statement.
It also noted that the MPC’s action goes beyond necessity.
“EMG finds it odd that the MPC has placed ads in the daily and weekly journals. It appears as though the MPC is trying to control the media in a way that has not been seen elsewhere in the world. EMG believes that the MPC is trying to restrict freedom of the press in Myanmar.”
It also doubted how these ads, financed through the Ks 50 million annual funding from President Office, would benefit the entire public.
It also vowed not to publish ads of this sort in its daily newspaper or weekly journals in the future.
MPC has so far been viewed as a good ally of media groups, mediating issues relating to press freedom in the country.
