Work

Which Exerts Greater Influence? Domestic vs. International News Media on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Projects in Myanmar

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Previous studies have investigated media influence on public opinion regarding BRI projects in Myanmar but have not clarified whether domestic or international news media exert more influence. This study examines how the domestic and international news media set agendas for BRI projects in Myanmar. Two domestic news media outlets (ELEVEN and The Irrawaddy) with 217 articles (n = 217) yielded 1436 attributes, whereas two international news outlets (Radio Free Asia and Voice of America) with 144 articles (n = 144) produced 1236 attributes. An online survey of 3000 Myanmar residents (n = 3000) was conducted to identify their public agendas. The independent t-test showed that domestic and international media emphasise BRI-related issues differently, while Spearman’s rho indicates that international news media exhibit a stronger correlation with public opinion, suggesting greater influence. The findings revealed that international media focuses on ‘strategic interests’, whereas domestic media emphasises ‘economic development’ from BRI implementation. The findings suggest that the Myanmar government and Chinese investors should focus on specific BRI project issues, including strategic interests, local concerns, economic development, lack of transparency, and lack of coordination when responding to media narratives.

Source: Journalism and Media

DOI: 10.3390/journalmedia6040158

Authors: Zeyar Oo, Yonghong Dai, Xiang Zhou, Lok Bahadur B. K., Poudel Ashok, Bandana Singh

Institution: Shenzhen University

Language: English

Topic: Media Studies and Communication

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Partnerships for the goals, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207