Media in Myanmar

Myanmar has a formal media system, but its practical operation differs sharply by region, provider, device, electricity supply, network access and current security measures. Burmese is the main language for local-language content, while ethnic languages and English are also used. The Ministry of Information, known as MOI, is the main state authority for media and information. Myanma Radio and Television, or MRTV, provides state radio and television, news, education, youth content, entertainment and live streams. The Myanmar News Agency, or MNA, is a state news agency. The Myanmar Press Council, or MPC, is a formal body for ethics, complaints and media development, although state control limits practical independence and pluralism. The Television and Radio Broadcasting Council forms part of the formal broadcasting framework. The News Media Law of 2014 covers print, audio, images, television and internet media. It formally recognizes activities such as researching information, accessing public information and criticizing the legislative, executive and judicial branches, and it states that media should not face prior censorship under that law. The same framework requires accuracy, corrections, source protection and ethical reporting, and it restricts content that could promote conflict. Constitutional Article 354 protects expression and publication only subject to laws concerning Union security, law and order, community peace, public order and morality. The Penal Code, including Section 505-A, the Telecommunications Law, the Electronic Transactions Law, the News Media Law, the Printing and Publishing Law, the Broadcasting Law and the Cybersecurity Law adopted by the State Administration Council in 2025 can affect media activity and online speech. The current implementation and application of the 2025 Cybersecurity Law are not fully independently verified. Printing, publishing and news-agency activities generally require a certificate or licence under the Printing and Publishing Enterprise Law of 2014. A certified publisher or news agency may operate a website for internet news under the applicable rules. Operating without the required certificate can lead to a fine of MMK 2 million to MMK 5 million. Licence periods, renewals and fees depend on the applicable requirements, and current fee schedules are not reliably established here. A print or news-agency project should therefore verify the current requirements with the Printing and Publishing Department before operating. The Broadcasting Law of 2015, amended in 2018, covers terrestrial, cable and satellite broadcasting. Internet-based broadcasting is not expressly covered by that framework and functions as a separate streaming area. MRTV remains a dominant source of official information, while relay-station coverage and reception quality vary by region. Pyone Play provides a local online television and video service and offers MRTV-4 and Channel 7 content, with the provider describing live television as available around the clock. MRTV also provides web and application streams. Actual access depends on a functioning network, the internet service provider, data costs, device access and possible blocking; no uniform nationwide access to over-the-top streaming services is reliably established. Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Signal have been restricted at times or in particular places. VPN services may also face blocking or control, and reports describe arrests and device seizures connected with online activity. Internet and communication shutdowns affecting MPT, Ooredoo, Atom and Mytel have been documented. Local services such as My Space Myanmar, Okay Par and Mtube have been presented as alternatives, but their nationwide reach is limited or insufficiently documented. When online access fails, people may rely on local platforms, mirror or exile websites, radio, shortwave broadcasts or offline sharing. Account details, contacts, location data and device contents can create security risks, and encrypted messaging should not be treated as guaranteed protection. Independent media have faced licence withdrawals since 2021. Some journalists work from exile, especially in Thailand, while others report clandestinely or through local and citizen journalism. Reported risks include arrest, torture, lengthy imprisonment and killing. RSF reported on 9 August 2026 that 39 journalists and 2 media workers were detained. Risks can also come from ethnic armed organizations and resistance groups, particularly in conflict areas. A safer verification practice is to compare at least two independent sources, separate the date, place and source of a claim, and check the context of photographs and videos before sharing them. Young people can find dedicated programmes on MRTV and can participate through UNICEF Myanmar U-Report, a free digital youth participation service operating since 2016. U-Report uses polls, information and dialogue for adolescents and young people, including people in remote and conflict-affected areas. As of July 2026, it reported 1.2 million U-Reporters and 280 polls. Hate speech, misinformation, digital violence, doxxing, surveillance, network restrictions, limited devices and language barriers affect participation. There is no reliable evidence of a uniform independent youth-media right or service across Myanmar. Formal participation includes MPC complaints, U-Report polls, contributions to media and civil-society groups, citizen journalism, exile media and local audio or video distribution. Repression can make participation anonymous, encrypted or indirect, but no channel is automatically safe. Access costs include a device, mobile data, possible VPN or alternative-distribution costs and, depending on the service, subscriptions or content charges. News access during a shutdown may require radio, shortwave or offline copies. The practical position can change quickly according to the city or rural area, conflict conditions, provider, device, data allowance, electricity supply and current government order.