BNI ActivitiesUnder BNI media development programme, four BNI members—Kaowao News, Kachin News Group, Khonumthung News Group and Kaladan Press had, in the period of June, July, August, 2007, conducted reporter trainings and more than 20 new reporters were trained. The trainings were financially supported by Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA).
BNI facilitated ICT (Information and communication technology) training for Burma media groups based in India, Bangladesh, and Thailand from June 26 to 28, 2006 in Chiang Mai with sponsorship by SEAPA and SEACeM. More than 20 media IT personnel attended the training.
The Independent Mon News Agency (IMNA) conducted a one-week basic journalism training from December 7 to 14, 2004 with the aim of improving the skills of IMNA stringer’s and to train new journalists. Six journalists and two IMNA stringers attended the training.
Mizzima News in collaboration with Khonumthong News based in India conducted a training programme in journalism from December 3 to 11, 2004 for six journalists with the aim of promoting the quality of journalism for Burma News International.
Narinjara News and Kaladan Press conducted a joint journalism training programme from May 12 to 14, 2005 with 10 Burmese journalists, five participants from each group attended. Three editors from prominent media organizations in Bangladesh were invited as trainers. Each group also conducted follow up trainings at their respective locations – Narinajara from October 20 to 21 and Kaladan Press from October 6 to 8.
Workshops
On November 12, 2007, BNI conducted a four-hour workshop, in Chiang Mai, on organizational management for editors and journalists from BNI member organizations.
BNI held a four-hour ICT workshop for journalists on June 5, 2007 in Chiang Mai. The workshop provided journalists or editors with needed IT skills which will help them to effectively communicate with their reporters in Burma.
Internship programmes
With financial support by Burma Relief Center, Shan Herald Agency for News is, from November 2007 to January 2008, providing three-month internships for three young journalists including two women, in order to promote women’s participation in Burma independent media, which is a BNI policy.
Under BNI development programme, four BNI members-- IMNA, Kaowao News, Kantarawaddy Times and Narinjara News were early 2007 supported by Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) for women journalists internship programmes. IMNA hosted two women interns from March to May, and Kantarawaddy Times and Kaowao News had hosted two each from April to June, 2007.
With financial support from Burma Project/Open Society Institute and Burma Relief Center, NMG, a member of BNI, in late 2006 provided internships to two women to encourage women’s participation in the independent Burma media. The internship programme was from July to September and was supported by BRC.
Regular meetings
Since 2003, BNI has regularly held bi-annual meetings of member organizations in different locations such as Bangladesh, India and Thailand. At regular meetings, the general situation of Burma media are shared, BNI’s past activities are evaluated and future plans are discussed. The last regular meeting was 10th annual meeting which was held in November, 2007 in Thailand.
Journalist protection
BNI held a seminar on ‘Protection of Burma’s Journalists’ jointly with SEAPA during the last week of October 2005. From this seminar a working committee named “Working Committee for the Protection of Burmese Journalists” was formed, and later were joined and empowered by the outcome of the third Burma Media Conference held in early November, 2005. The committee was later re-named “Burma Journalist Protection Committee,” (BJPC). BJPC is now an active committee working for the protection of Burma Journalists.
Networking with international journalists
Journalists from BNI, on 6 April 2006, held an interactive meeting with some editors and journalists from India’s North Eastern states to discuss future cooperation among journalists in the region.
Other activities
A press conference on “Narcotics Trafficking across Burma (Myanmar) Borders” was held after BNI’s meeting on April 5, 2006 at the South Asia Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi, where foreign journalists based in New Delhi and journalists from India’s North Eastern states attended.
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