The print, broadcast and online mass media in Myanmar (also known as Burma) has undergone strict censorship and regulation since the 1962 Burmese coup d'état.
Reporters Without Borders ranked Myanmar 174th out of 178 in its 2010 Press Freedom Index, ahead of just Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Eritrea.
King Mindon was an advocate of press freedom and encouraged the creation of Myanmar's first Burmese-language newspaper, Yadanapon Naypyidaw Thadinsa (ရတနာပုံနေပြည်တော်သတင်းစာ) to report on him and the Queen, even if it portrayed them in a negative light.
[11] Several Chinese, Burmese and English-language newspapers were permitted to report news from around the country and internationally, interviewing politicians and interacting with foreign journalists, contrary to most of Myanmar's south-east Asian neighbours.
[12] From the independence of Myanmar from the United Kingdom in 1948 until 1962, the country experienced a temporary period of democracy and free media.
[18] Subjects out of bounds for journalists included discussions of democracy, the legitimacy of the regime, political corruption, HIV/AIDS, the aftermath of natural disasters and the national football team losing,[14][20] though some attempted to hide criticism amongst words or images.
[24] Exiled media outlets such as the Democratic Voice of Burma based in Oslo, Norway, sought to promote civil society efforts and freedom of expression within Myanmar from abroad, while attempting to offer an uncensored perspective on Burmese affairs to the rest of the world.
[25] Myanmar underwent a communications and technology revolution after 2011 reforms that lifted severe restrictions on the media, mobile phone use, and internet use.
[29] It also prohibited the use of the terms “coup,” “junta” and “regime.”[29] Myanmar has three free of charge, state-owned newspapers that are distributed on a daily basis.
Previously, all newspaper articles, regardless of content, were required to pass through the censor board at the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division, set up by the Ministry of Information in 2005.
[35] Golden Fresh Land is run by Khin Maung Lay who worked for the Mogyo Daily prior to 1964 and has served multiple prison terms for speaking out against the government.
[35] The other twelve licensees have thus far failed to make it to publication due to a combination of outdated equipment, insufficient reporters, and trouble securing financing.
[40] Television broadcasts regularly feature members of the military visiting monasteries and handing out gifts of money and religious material.
[42] On 17 February 2018, five private companies signed a cooperation agreement with state-run Myanma Radio and Television to operate as content providers on digital free-to-air channels.
[7] Radio Myanmar usually begins daily with readings from the governments' "Seven Point Road to Democracy", "Twelve Political, Economic and Social Objectives" and "Three Main National Causes".
In the past, radio sets were usually tuned to government stations, however, uncensored information from stations such as BBC, VOA, Radio Free Asia and Democratic Voice of Burma (based in Oslo, Norway) were available from sets smuggled into the country and were (and still are) popular, though some people caught listening to broadcasts were arrested in the past.
[36] Before Internet access became available, foreign radio stations were a major source of information, which often helped to break the media blackout in the country.
International news sites, including Voice of America, BBC, and Radio Free Asia, long blocked by Burmese censors, had become accessible overnight.
A number of previously censored independent Myanmar-focused news sites which had been highly critical of Myanmar's ruling regime, such as the Democratic Voice of Burma and Irrawaddy, were suddenly accessible.
[49] Prior to September 2011 the internet in Myanmar was more strictly controlled, with access blocked to websites critical of the junta, Burmese exile groups, and foreign media.