Burma: Newsboys (2012)

In the last year, the generals ruling Burma have opened the country to greater freedoms and democratic processes. The impact of these changes is felt all the way down into the world of the newsboys, 300 men and women who collate, deliver and sell newspapers and magazines throughout the capital. A year ago, these newsboys delivered only government generated and controlled newspapers, as all else was banned with brutal consequences. Today they are able to deliver over 30 independent publications and experience greater personal freedoms, even though they remain invisible and poor. World media attention continues to focus on the effects that political change in Burma is having on the generals and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Viewing the changes though the daily lives of the newsboys offers a different perspective that illustrates the impact of these freedoms throughout Burmese society.