Myanmar Journalists' Toolkit in Cultural and Ethnic Reporting

"In a war-torn country like Myanmar, cultural and ethnic reporting is of vital importance in empowering the general audience about complex ethnic issues and diverse culture."



This journalists' toolkit is designed to promote values of tolerance, pluralism, diversity, and inclusiveness and to emphasise the importance of cultural sensitivity in reporting cultural issues and events. It: includes do's and don'ts in cultural and ethnic reporting - from data gathering to content sharing and dissemination; presents prototype cultural and ethnic stories in different formats; and identifies topics or story ideas that may serve as leads in story development, writing, and production.



As explained in the toolkit, Myanmar is a diverse society with different religions, cultures, ethnicities, and dialects. Official documents recognise 135 ethnic groups and 117 languages and for decades, the country has experienced inter-ethnic conflict.



In this context, the media has been found to reinforce divisions and otherness. For example, stories about culture and ethnic groups are usually only featured in the mass media and social media when they talk about conflict, migration, illegal logging and mining, human trafficking, and wildlife trade. Such traditional or narrow story ideas have led to reinforcing misrepresentations, prejudices, and stereotypes. In addition, media run by smaller ethnic groups do not have the resources for their stories to reach beyond their communities. Within mainstream media, issues related to ethnic groups are inadequately covered because stories related to the rights of ethnic people, vanishing tribes in remote areas, and their languages, traditions, and daily life are considered low priority for the media compared to other immediate issues, such as civil war and conflicts, political affairs, and illicit trades.



Yet, as pointed out in the toolkit, the media can play a critical role in bringing different communities together. It cites the following major reasons why cultural and ethnic reporting is important in Myanmar:

• As a platform for expression by ethnic communities (or to amplify voices of ethnic communities);
• As a bridge to understanding ethnic culture and identity, historical context, and sensitive issues, stereotypes, prejudices, and biases;
• For the preservation and development of indigenous culture, including languages;
• To invoke the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Properties;
• As a platform for intercultural and inter-religious dialogues;
• To address misrepresentations; and
• For inter-generational transmission of cultural values, beliefs, and practices.

To support these reasons, the toolkit has three overall objectives:

1. To emphasise among Myanmar journalists, from both mainstream and ethnic news media, the need to sustain and expand coverage of culture and ethnic issues;
2. To capacitate journalists to be more sensitive of their coverage of cultural and ethnic issues and events and to add related frames of gender, faith and religion, and language, among others;
3. To transform ethnic media outlets into champions that promote acceptance of difference, tolerance, diversity, and pluralism. These values are considered crucial in achieving national peace and social cohesion in Myanmar.

These objectives are covered across the following chapters:

• Ethno-Cultural Landscape of Myanmar
• Ethnic Media in Myanmar
• Why Cultural and Ethnic Reporting Is Important
• Do's and Don'ts in Cultural and Ethnic Reporting
• Gender Sensitivity in Cultural and Ethnic Reporting
• Safety and Protection of Journalists Covering Ethnic Communities
• Story Ideas in Culture and Ethnic Reporting
• Case Examples of Model Culture and Ethnic Stories in Various Platforms