Towards a re discovery of the public sphere: Myanmar/Burma's 'exile' media's counter hegemonic potential and the U.S. news media's re framing of American foreign policy
Oliver Boyd Barrett, Advisor This study explores Myanmar/Burma's "independent" "exile media's" counterhegemonic potential and relationship to public sphere formation amid their transition toward commercial models of organization. Employing a comparative content analysis of these media's and mainstream American news media's framing of Myanmar/Burma's democratic reforms, this inquiry correspondingly seeks to gain insight into the nature news frame construction by Burmese exile and U.S. media. As this pursuit necessitates an understanding of the historical, economic, cultural, and technological contextual forces shaping such patterns (Mody, 1978; 1987; 1989; 2010) analysis of data was understood relative to an examination of Myanmar/Burma's socio historical context, prevailing public sphere, news framing, and political economy scholarship, participant observation of the country's current media landscape, and interviews with the co founders and senior editors of Myanmar/Burma's exile media. Incorporating the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and culminating in President Barack Obama's "landmark" visit to Myanmar/Burma, 2003 2012 was selected as the overarching timeframe for investigation. The headlines, by lines, and dates of 323 New York Times and 24 USA Today articles were examined through qualitative content analysis. Furthermore, January 2011 through December 2012 was selected as a sub sample timeframe for an in depth qualitative analysis of relevant frames. Eighty nine (New York Times 83; USA Today 6) "mainstream U.S. media" and 90 "exile media" articles (The Irrawaddy 37; Mizzima News 30; Democratic Voice of