Digital media drives Burma protests
September 25th, 2007 by Wendy McAuliffe
The media is hot with news of the Burmese protests today, and my eye has been drawn to a news organisation that is having a big impact on spreading news of the demonstrations within Burma.
Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) is a non-profit Burmese media organisation that is striving to provide uncensored and impartial news reports to its country. Channel 4 News has profiled it on this evening’s programme for the instrumental role that it’s playing, amid heavily controlled state television that is refusing to show footage of the protests.
I felt compelled to give the organisation a mention here, not only because of the good it’s doing, but also because of its technical creativity.
The TV channel is broadcast by satellite from Norway, but has 30 to 40 undercover journalists on the ground in Burma. While the Burmese regime is threatening to shut down mobile networks, DVB is continuing to deliver video footage and images to citizens. This is citizen journalism in its most powerful form.
Those wishing to pledge their support to the Burmese protests can do so here.
