{"id":6049,"date":"2025-05-12T05:55:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T23:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=6049"},"modified":"2025-05-12T05:55:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T23:25:22","slug":"how-much-trust-does-the-public-place-in-news-outlets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2025\/05\/how-much-trust-does-the-public-place-in-news-outlets\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Trust Does the Public Place in News Outlets?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2013 May 10 Overview”<\/strong>,<\/p>\n

published by MoeMaKa on May 11, 2025<\/em>*:<\/p>\n

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How Much Trust Does the Public Place in News Outlets?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Less than two months into President Trump\u2019s new term, he signed an order on March 15<\/strong> to suspend funding<\/strong> for several publicly funded media services, including VOA (Voice of America), RFA (Radio Free Asia), and RFE\/Radio Liberty<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

VOA staff, who are U.S. federal employees, were not immediately laid off, but RFA<\/strong>, which is funded by Congress but operates independently, had to suspend operations<\/strong> and stop paying staff salaries. This decision has since escalated into a complete shutdown order<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

After nearly 30 years<\/strong> of broadcasting, the RFA Burmese Service<\/strong>, launched in the late 1990s, has now ceased operations.<\/p>\n

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Impact on Burmese Audiences<\/strong><\/h3>\n

RFA was created with the mission of serving audiences in countries under authoritarian regimes<\/strong> and lacking press freedom. Now, its sudden closure raises serious questions about how audiences in those countries\u2014like Myanmar\u2014perceive this decision<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In Myanmar, RFA Burmese had a large audience<\/strong> who accessed its content via radio, satellite TV, and the internet. Alongside VOA Burmese and BBC Burmese, it was one of only a few foreign-based outlets broadcasting uncensored news via radio.<\/p>\n

Now that RFA and VOA have been suspended<\/strong>, the choice of daily news sources<\/strong> for Burmese audiences has shrunk significantly<\/strong>. Two of the few outlets offering varied perspectives on nationwide events are gone, which is a substantial loss.<\/p>\n

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Public Reaction on Social Media<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What surprised many was that Facebook users<\/strong> in Myanmar responded to the shutdown with comments expressing satisfaction and even celebration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Although Facebook users don\u2019t represent the whole population, they do reflect a significant share of online news consumers<\/strong>. Some comments came from junta supporters<\/strong> who view outlets like RFA as being anti-nationalist or pro-resistance. Ironically, many of them were regular RFA listeners or readers themselves<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But not all celebratory commenters were junta sympathizers. Some self-identified opponents of the military<\/strong> also criticized RFA for bias<\/strong>, tone<\/strong>, and use of terminology<\/strong>\u2014particularly in reference to the Rohingya<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Longstanding Tensions Over Media Framing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

During the 2012\u20132017 period, when Myanmar\u2019s military campaign against the Rohingya escalated, many nationalists objected to media outlets\u2014especially RFA, VOA, and BBC\u2014using the term \u201cRohingya\u201d<\/strong> instead of \u201cBengali\u201d<\/strong>, which was more commonly used by local publications and weekly journals at the time.<\/p>\n

That tension continues to influence public trust in foreign-funded media<\/strong>, especially when audiences feel their ethnic or national identity is misrepresented<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Criticism of Media Accountability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Beyond political bias, some criticisms stem from errors<\/strong>, incomplete reporting<\/strong>, or perceived arrogance. Many Burmese audience members feel that:<\/p>\n