USE OF MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY potential to localize and improve the quality of its news and information programming, but with rising audiences across the country and robust financial backing for the current model, there is currently little incentive for it to take risks on groundbreaking news and information programming. is the most popular ““Radio in this area because we don’t have time to watch TV, and journals are only available in Kyaik Hto town. Moreover, there is no electricity and the fuel cost for generators is expensive to watch TV.“ R ura l r e s p o n d e n t, N g a P yaw Taw V i l l a g e , K yaik H t o T o w n s hi p International Radio - Perceived Bias In Coverage Of Conflict In Rakhine State Another significant finding is that (unlike foreign TV stations) foreign radio stations are well known by respondents in Mon State. 90% or more of radio listeners recognized three foreign radio stations in particular—BBC World Service, Voice of America (VOA), and Radio Free Asia (RFA). Qualitative interviews indicated that BBC, VOA, and RFA were popular among respondents for their news content, especially for international news. This finding correlates with those of the BBG/Gallup audience survey in the same time period, and demonstrates the enduring importance of independent radio coverage on shortwave during the decades of military rule. The finding appears to make a case for the viability of these shortwave channels to continue to be significant sources of news and information to the people of Mon State in the future. However serious consideration needs to be given to the more nuanced, and perhaps less rosy outlook brought to the surface by the ecosystem research responses on trust. Not only did state-owned radio show up as significantly better recognized and trusted than the international stations, but qualitative research revealed mixed or decreased trust in foreign news sources, primarily due to strong perceptions among some respondents of biased reporting on the conflict between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine State by foreign news media. Many respondents felt the Rohingya were given greater importance by foreign media, while the points of view of Buddhists were suppressed . As a result, some respondents felt that the foreign media were “discriminatory” and reported “incorrect news.” One rural respondent commented, “earlier, the BBC was considered very trustworthy, but now local radio The 2012 Rakhine State riots were a series of conflicts primarily between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, though by October Muslims of all ethnicities had begun to be targeted. The riots came after weeks of sectarian disputes and have been condemned by most people on both sides of the conflict.The immediate cause of the riots was unclear, with many commentators citing the rape and murder of a Rakhine woman and the following killing of ten Burmese Muslims by ethnic Rakhine as the main cause.The Myanmar government responded by imposing curfews and by deploying troops in the regions. On 10 June, state of emergency was declared in Rakhine, allowing military to participate in administration of the region. As of 22 August, officially there had been 88 casualties – 57 Muslims and 31 Buddhists.An estimated 90,000 people have been displaced by the violence. About 2,528 houses were burned, and of those, 1,336 belonged to Rohingyas and 1,192 belonged to Rakhines. The Burmese army and police were accused of playing a leading role in targeting Rohingya through mass arrests and arbitrary violence. part one: rese arch findings In the past I trusted ““overseas news, but now I know their news is not totally correct. Now I feel like they are trying to incite something between the people and the government. DVB news is also incorrect. Their news is not exact and makes an instigation between the people and the government.“ R ura l , f o rm e r c o n f l i c t ar e a r e s p o n d e n t, ma l e , a g e 3 1- 4 5 , K aw D u t V i l l a g e , Yay T o w n s hi p I listen to BBC, ““Sometimes RFA, and VOA for political and economic news about Myanmar. Most of the younger generation prefers to listen to the song requests. But I like the three overseas stations.“ R ura l r e s p o n d e n t, N g a P yaw Taw V i l l a g e , K yaik H t o T o w n s hi p 32 INFORMATION ECOSYSTEMS in transition: a case study from myanmar channels are more trustworthy and dependable.” Trust in information from news sources inside Myanmar has changed substantially as a result of a bias perceived by an overwhelmingly Buddhist audience. Another reason cited by respondents for a decreasing reliance on foreign media was the improvement in quality and quantity of local news options. Respondents explained that during the days of the prior military regime, there was no other option except to rely on foreign news and broadcasting. Now, however, with the new government and changes in policy in almost every area, people feel the government news stations are giving up-to-date and accurate information about Myanmar. As a result, respondents said the popularity of foreign news sources including BBC, VOA, RFA, and DVB is actually diminishing. 33 how to inform, empower, and impact communities INFORMATION ECOSYSTEMS in transition: a case study from myanmar how to inform, empower, and impact communities PART ONE: RESEARCH FINDINGS