PEACEWORKS 92 Print Myanmar features a vibrant print media landscape with more than three hundred newspapers; roughly onethird of these newspapers are based in Yangon. The real turning point for media in Myanmar arrived in June 2011, when the government of Thein Sein announced the gradual withdrawal of prepress censorship. Although this withdrawal began with entertainment media, the process came full circle in August 2012, when censorship of all news media officially ended.5 This step forward needs to be qualified, however. Even as ­journalists were allowed to write about Aung San Suu Kyi, to avoid potential repercussions, they continued to practice self-censorship when it came to political news. Additionally, a de facto post-press censorship still exists in that the Ministry of Information (MoI) continues to control registration and therefore can levy penalties or revoke registration in response to printed material it might take issue with. In another promising step, daily publications were approved, and four gained initial licenses to begin operations on April 1, 2013. A total of sixteen were expected to enter the market, and many weekly journals are planning to transition to the daily format. Currently, Myanmar features a vibrant print media landscape with more than three hundred newspapers; roughly one-third of these newspapers are based in Yangon.6 The literacy rate in Myanmar, though subject to debate, is estimated to be as high as 89.9 percent.7 It is unquestionably lower in rural areas. Nevertheless, levels of readership across the country are high, and rent-a-book shops are popular fixtures in many areas. At such venues, several newspapers are combined into one take-home volume. Many local communities have their own tea shop culture that includes sharing newspapers and discussing the news of the day. One general problem is the lack of local-language print media that truly represent the communities. In fact, community media are scant, though this is beginning to change. The availability of print media is widespread for monthlies and weeklies but will be more difficult for dailies as they begin to enter the market. The infrastructure simply does not support easy transport of papers, and only a few newspapers have their own printing facilities. As a result, the largest printing houses have significant influence. Overall, trust in the government-run newspapers is scant, especially after decades of topdown control of the entire media environment. In comparison, some trust lies with the private media, but according to interviewees, the level depends largely on who is running the particular outlet. Most weeklies run the same content, so readers are especially appreciative of special reports—these distinguish one weekly from the next. There is a certain level of distrust in international media coverage of ethnic and religious issues. Some Bamar think that such coverage unfairly weights the concerns of non-Bamar ethnicities and also demonstrates a superficial level of knowledge about conflict issues in Myanmar. Broadcast Before 2011, broadcast media were completely controlled by the state, and the transition since 2011 has brought far less freedom to it than to the print sector. Whereas five dailies continue to be operated by the state—either the MoI or the military—two state television channels—MRTV (Myanmar Radio and Television) and Myawaddy—remain under government control. Meanwhile, several new privately owned FM channels and a handful of private television stations have emerged, but most are owned by government-aligned cronies.8 The founding of other broadcast outlets has likely been hampered by high start-up costs, particularly relative to print media. Outside city centers, radio is still the media of choice, especially for listening to international broadcasters, such as Voice of America (VOA) and BBC. However, according to a radio 16  USIP.ORG