News falls flat in Laos - Media enjoys transition but bulletins are ‘boring’

©UNESCO/R.Manowalailao

Lao PDR – Despite positive changes to both print and broadcasting media in Laos, the sector still suffers from low viewing and readership figures.

Lena Naxaipradit, a graduate in accounting from Tipvalee College in Vientiane, said: “The media in Laos mostly covers official activities and I don’t like it. It’s not fun.”

According to an unpublished research on media development in Lao PDR, which was funded by UNESCO Bangkok, most young people in the country shun news reports in favour of Thai TV programmes which “they find more varied and exciting”.

Tookta Phomvisouk, 21, an accounting student in Vientiane; said she is interested in news but not too enthusiastic about the Lao media.

“Lao news is not very exciting. It mostly reports on the national policies and conferences which are not relevant to my life,” she said.

Ms. Phomvisouk said she likes watching Thai news programmes and the private television station Lao Star Channel.

The media in Laos has been growing due to the availability of new technologies and economic development, combined with the 2009 New Media Law.

The Lao government has granted licences for private sector organizations to run television, radio stations and print media and buy airtime on government TV and radio channels.

There are now 32 TV stations including district, provincial and central stations nationwide, including the two Lao National Television stations.

In recent years, the ownership of television stations has become more positive. From 2007, there has been an increase in broadcasts of educational and entertainment programmes produced by private companies broadcast on government channels.

The public in Laos can access more than 60 uncensored cable programmes including the BBC, CNN, plus Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese stations.

Deputy Minister of Information and Culture, Professor Dr. Bosengkham Vongdara said the government’s decision to allow people to gain full access to foreign media was intended to provide them with more choices.

This has led to people having a better understanding of the global situation, and reduced the opportunities for Lao people to be lied to or deceived, he said.

From 2008 to 2010, the number of radio stations has increased from 32 to 44 stations. Since early 2000, the state radio, including the national and municipal radio, has allowed individuals and private organizations to buy airtime and produce and broadcast their own programmes.

According to the unpublished research, 63 out of 100 residents in Vientiane listen to radio broadcasts but only 28 of these listen to the news programmes on Lao radio.

“When listening to news programmes on the Lao radio or even on Lao National TV, I felt as if our country has no serious problems and I don’t know the real life of people,” said a 35 year-old woman in the survey.

Currently, there are 24 newspapers nationwide including daily, weekly and quarterly, according to the Mass Media Department. All newspapers in Laos are state run. Some of them are classified as news agencies such as the Lao News Agency, Vientiane Times, and Vientiane Mai while others work under the respective ministries such as Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Trade and Industry and governmental organizations such as the Lao Women’s Union and the Lao Youth Union.

In general, Lao newspapers are often urban centric and target at people with a high level of political understanding, which are primarily the upper and middle classes.

Peth, 36, a motor tricycle driver in Vientiane said he only reads sports news in the newspaper.

“Reading newspaper is useful, I know, but I’m not a business man. I’m only a labourer who relies on a daily income. I don’t need to use information in the news which is mostly about political activities in my work,” he said.

Viengxai Naxaipradit who sells newspapers observed that besides office workers and expats, college students are the other major buyer of newspapers. However, the students look for something besides news.

“The students usually come and ask which newspaper has got the most job vacancy ads. Before they take money out of their pockets, they must seek if it’s worth their investment. And I hope there are more job ads in the newspaper, as it would guarantee the good sell,” she said.

Laos has no official newspaper readership data but based on the UNESCO unpublished report, about 80 out of 100 surveys in Vientiane state that people read Lao newspapers for information such as news, job opportunities and announcements.

“Those reading the newspaper in Laos are not generally local people,” said Thonglor Duangsavanh, Deputy Director and Managing Director of the Vientiane Times. “You have got to ask whether the news is relevant to those people’s lives, if not, they are not going to read it.”

Due to the increase in the number of media products in print, television and radio, the government cannot afford to fund all of them. Therefore, the government has encouraged all media organizations to be financially self-sufficient so they have to rely heavily on advertisements.

Journalist Chanthavone Khamphilavong of Lao Nation Radio, 38, said he wished to see more in-depth reports on critical issues affecting Lao people in the media. In doing so, the country needs more trained people to develop the quality of the country’s media.

“When you see the news about one workshop in one newspaper, you’ll see the same news about that same workshop in every newspaper. Likewise, that same news about the workshop you see in the newspaper will appear in radio and TV.

“I don’t want this to happen. But the Lao media is not yet up to standard. Most journalists in Laos do not have a degree in journalism but they are skilled language students who are interested in pursuing the career in media and train themselves through experiences and workshops,” he said.

Mr. Khamphilavong has been a journalist for ten years and has never attended a formal journalism course.

The journalism and mass media course was only set up in the Lao National University in 2004. It is the first ever full-time journalism course in the country.

The Director-General of the Lao Press in Foreign Languages Savankhone Razmountry said the country’s media is at an early stage of its development.

“In developing the media, it will take some time. Laos is still an underdeveloped country and the journalists in Laos are also at a disadvantage in many ways. We are in short supply of media personnel with expertise and it’s our major challenge,” he said.

By Rojana Manowalailao, UNESCO Bangkok