Friday, 18 November 2011 21:14 Phanida
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Information Ministry on Friday launched a new weekly journal called the “Naypyitaw Times.”
Myo Tun, the chief editor of Sarpay Beikman, will be the chief editor of the “Naypyitaw Times,” and Saw Lin Aung, a former editor of Rangoon Media Group, will serve as executive editor.
The government's "Naypyitaw Times" Twenty-five correspondents will staff the journal. The headquarters is located in the Sarpay Beikman building at the corner of 37th Road and Merchant Road in Kyauktada Township in Rangoon. The journal will be distributed across the country.
“Our journal is like other private news journals. We want to create a market. We will talk about policy, and we will be similar to [private] news journals,” a member of the editorial team said on the condition of anonymity.
“I think that they want to report about the government’s actions. It seems the officials want the people to know about their actions now, because the journal was allowed to publish an interview with the Information Minister. No other journal could publish an interview with the minister,” the editor told Mizzima.
During the British colonial era in Burma in 1937, a Burmese man, Tun Shwe, and his colleagues founded the “Nagani” publishing house and published books on anti-expansionism and anti-fascism. After Burma achieved independence, the publishing house was renamed “Sarpay Beikman.” Later, successive Burmese governments took control, and today the Information Ministry operates it.
The debut issue marks the 91st anniversary of Burma’s National Day on November 20, and contains special articles and interviews about National Day, a local editor told Mizzima. He said the journal featured a story about Burma’s last ruler, King Hsipaw, and the day he was arrested by British authorities.
“The journal wants to reveal the information banned in Ne Win’s era,” he told Mizzima.
The first issue also contains news articles, poems, international news in translation and pop news. The journal will be distributed on Sundays.
The Information Ministry’s Sarpay Beikman has set up a fund for the journal. Like other news journals, it is required to pass articles through censors prior to publication. The price of the journal is 500 kyat (about US $0.75).
The debut issue also includes a five-page translation of a Wall Street Journal interview with Information Minister Kyaw Hsan by Patrick Barta of the Southeast Asian office of the Wall Street Journal.
The Information Ministry is currently publishing three daily newspapers including the “New Light of Myanmar,” “The Mirror” and “Myawaddy.” A total of more than 300,000 newspapers are distributed daily.
Under Burmese censorship rules enacted in June, there are two categories of publications. Group 1 includes 82 publications, which don’t need to pass articles through censors prior to publication, but must submit copies after publication. Group 2 includes 94 publications, which must pass articles through censors prior to publication.
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The Information Ministry on Friday launched a new weekly journal called the “Naypyitaw Times.”
Myo Tun, the chief editor of Sarpay Beikman, will be the chief editor of the “Naypyitaw Times,” and Saw Lin Aung, a former editor of Rangoon Media Group, will serve as executive editor.
“Our journal is like other private news journals. We want to create a market. We will talk about policy, and we will be similar to [private] news journals,” a member of the editorial team said on the condition of anonymity.
“I think that they want to report about the government’s actions. It seems the officials want the people to know about their actions now, because the journal was allowed to publish an interview with the Information Minister. No other journal could publish an interview with the minister,” the editor told Mizzima.
During the British colonial era in Burma in 1937, a Burmese man, Tun Shwe, and his colleagues founded the “Nagani” publishing house and published books on anti-expansionism and anti-fascism. After Burma achieved independence, the publishing house was renamed “Sarpay Beikman.” Later, successive Burmese governments took control, and today the Information Ministry operates it.
The debut issue marks the 91st anniversary of Burma’s National Day on November 20, and contains special articles and interviews about National Day, a local editor told Mizzima. He said the journal featured a story about Burma’s last ruler, King Hsipaw, and the day he was arrested by British authorities.
“The journal wants to reveal the information banned in Ne Win’s era,” he told Mizzima.
The first issue also contains news articles, poems, international news in translation and pop news. The journal will be distributed on Sundays.
The Information Ministry’s Sarpay Beikman has set up a fund for the journal. Like other news journals, it is required to pass articles through censors prior to publication. The price of the journal is 500 kyat (about US $0.75).
The debut issue also includes a five-page translation of a Wall Street Journal interview with Information Minister Kyaw Hsan by Patrick Barta of the Southeast Asian office of the Wall Street Journal.
The Information Ministry is currently publishing three daily newspapers including the “New Light of Myanmar,” “The Mirror” and “Myawaddy.” A total of more than 300,000 newspapers are distributed daily.
Under Burmese censorship rules enacted in June, there are two categories of publications. Group 1 includes 82 publications, which don’t need to pass articles through censors prior to publication, but must submit copies after publication. Group 2 includes 94 publications, which must pass articles through censors prior to publication.
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