Media in Bhutan

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Media in Bhutan by Western model began only with the reforms since the 1960s to emerge and were initially operated by the government. The model of independent media as a contributor to building a modern society became more and more popular from the mid-1980s. An increasingly rich media landscape has developed since then. The first television station only started operating in 1999, making Bhutan the last country in the world to have this medium found its way into. Mobile phones have been allowed since 2004. On February 21, 2010, by decree of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the Bhutan Media Foundation, BMF, was established with the aim of promoting the growth of strong and responsible media. The BMF should support the healthy development of the mass media so that they are able to fulfill their important role in the social, economic and political development in the interests of further democratization of the country.

Freedom of the press

The international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders has been publishing its worldwide ranking of press freedom since 2002 . In 2002 and 2003, Bhutan was ranked among the five countries with the worst violations of the freedom of the press, along with North Korea and China. Through the introduction of private media in 2006 and a parliamentary form of government in 2008, Bhutan improved to 64th place in 2010, but has since fallen back to 104th place in 2015.

As of 2017, Bhutan ranks 84th with the rating “identifiable problems”. Although the constitution guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the press, it is criticized that criticism of the king is forbidden by law and that statements that could harm the nation's honor are not permitted. Many journalists see themselves thus induced to self-censorship. In addition, due to the economic situation, the private media are dependent on income from government advertisements.

Print media

The print media include the following 12 newspapers and 6 magazines .

Newspapers

English language newspapers
  • Kuensel was founded in 1965 as an internal government bulletin , converted into a newspaper in 1986, which was decoupled from the government in 1992. Since April 27, 2009, Kuensel has appeared six times a week, Monday to Saturday, and covers a wide range of topics.
  • Bhutan Times started on April 30, 2006 and appears weekly on Sundays. It covers a wide mix of regional, national and international news and reports. The newspaper is a corporation owned by 289 shareholders and sponsors.
  • The Bhutan Observer was launched on June 2, 2006 as the first non-governmental, bilingual newspaper, mainly covering rural news and social issues.
  • Bhutan Today started on October 30, 2008 and appears twice a week on Thursday and Sunday and covers all topics that are of national interest in the broadest sense.
  • Business Bhutan , launched on September 26, 2009, is Bhutan's first business newspaper with articles on business and finance. The newspaper appears weekly on Saturday.
  • The Journalist has been appearing every Sunday since December 20, 2009 as a weekly newspaper that covers a wide range of popular topics.
  • Bhutan Youth published its first issue on May 7th, 2011. It is Bhutan's first youth newspaper with a 24-page issue that appears weekly on Sundays. The newspaper is bilingual, with more articles written in English than in Dzongkha .
  • The Bhutanese was launched on February 21, 2012 as a newspaper appearing twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The focus of the paper is on bold and investigative reports on political, economic and social issues that uncover misconduct and demand accountability.
Dzongkha newspapers
  • Druk Neytshuel was launched on August 29, 2010 and is Bhutan's first newspaper that appears only in Dzongkha. Druk Neytshuel is a Sunday weekly newspaper with nationwide distribution that covers the fields of history, culture, sport, economic and social developments, entertainment and religion.
  • Druk Yoedzer started on February 19, 2011 as a nationwide weekly newspaper published on Saturdays. It covers national and local news ranging from business, features, entertainment, customs and religion to sports and astrology.
  • Gyalchi Sarshog was launched on November 12, 2011 and appears weekly on Saturdays. The aim of the newspaper is to bring national and international news to people who can only read Dzongkha. It offers news and reports on culture, religion, astrology, entertainment, business and sports.
  • Druk Melong started as a Sunday weekly newspaper on May 20, 2012. Thematically, it covers politics, national and international news, law and crime, open debates, health, education, youth, entertainment and local news from the Dzongkhags and Gewogs .

Magazines

There are magazines of the most varied types

  • Druk Trowa , launched in September 2009, is the country's first film and entertainment magazine. In its quarterly editions, it mainly covers news and information related to the film industry.
  • Yeewong is Bhutan's first and so far only women's magazine, which started on October 1, 2009. It is aimed primarily at women in Bhutan and appears three times a year.
  • Student Digest was launched in October 2010 and is a quarterly educational magazine distributed to schools across the country.
  • Bhutan Timeout has been published quarterly since April 11, 2012 and covers news on travel, hospitality and entertainment.
  • The Raven has been Bhutan's only monthly magazine on social, cultural, art and political topics since 2012. The Raven is Bhutan's first publication on glossy paper .
  • The Voyager started on August 9, 2013. The quarterly magazine that advertises Bhutan as a travel destination and offers tourism information is distributed domestically and abroad.

broadcast

Radio is the most effective medium in Bhutan and reaches the largest audience by far. From November 1973, a group of volunteers from the National Youth Association of Bhutan operated the country's first broadcasting station, Radio NYAB, with a 30-minute news and music program that only aired on Sundays. In 1986, Radio NYAB was renamed Bhutan Broadcasting Service and the program was expanded to three hours a day. As of 2012, BBS Radio is broadcast around the clock and can be received nationwide. In addition to the public broadcaster BBS Radio , five private broadcasters have recently established themselves: Kuzoo FM (2006), Radio Valley (2007), Centennial Radio (2008), Radio Wave (2010), Yiga FM (2013). Only Kuzoo FM can be received nationwide in 18 of a total of 20 Dzongkhags ( districts ). The reception area of ​​the other channels has so far been limited to the greater area around the capital Thimphu .

watch TV

Only shortly before the turn of the millennium was television introduced in Bhutan . The Bhutan Broadcasting Service TV station , BBS TV, which started operating on June 2, 1999, is the only broadcaster dedicated to local news and programs within Bhutan. In February 2006, the BBS launched its satellite television service, which can be received in almost 40 Asian countries from Turkey in the west to Indonesia in Southeast Asia. Cable TV services are now available in 19 Dzongkhags and offer around 40 different channels.

Film industry

The Film Association of Bhutan , FAB, was founded on September 9, 1999. Its aim is to promote the professionalization of local filmmakers, to promote the culture and traditions of Bhutan through documentary and feature film and to make the Bhutanese film industry known both nationally and internationally.

Internet and social media

Bhutan has been connected to the worldwide Internet since 1999. Nationwide there is an Internet service via the mobile network provider Bhutan Telecom . In 2016, 36.9% of the population used the internet.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Andreas von Heßberg: Bhutan - On the way in the Himalayan kingdom . 1st edition. Tresher Verlag, Berlin 2016, ISBN 978-3-89794-350-6 , pp. 100 + 403 .
  2. ^ Bhutanese Journalism Review. Volume I, Issue 2; January – April, 2015. Bhutan Media Foundadtion, accessed November 26, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Bhutan. Reporters Without Borders , accessed November 26, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Internet Users by Country (2016) - Internet Live Stats. Retrieved November 20, 2017 .