15 May 2024

Limiting Poverty Porn Substance on Myanmar’s Online Media Channels to Preserve the National Image

“Poverty porn”, a media content that exploitatively portrays the lives of underprivileged people for the sake of sensationalism on online media channels (Facebook, Youtube & Tik Tok), has become an ethical problem. The portrayal commonly degrades the participants' dignity, reinforces stereotypes, and misrepresents the cause of poverty. The suggested policies to address this issue take a holistic approach, including setting guidelines for media reporting by establishing a content monitoring group to verify compliance, conducting media literacy training programs to encourage ethical journalism and enforcing positive narrative contents. The implications of such policies implementation are a more dignified representation of disadvantaged communities, a reduction in widespread of exploitative content, and an improved international image for Myanmar by creating a holistic and professional media environment that supports ethical norms and responsible journalism.