Mission and approach
The Maldives Independent is an award-winning, staff-owned newsroom with a 20-year legacy of independent journalism. Their mission is to provide credible, fact-checked journalism in both Dhivehi and English that helps people make sense of politics, society and climate issues through reporting that is fair, accurate and accessible.
After a five-year hiatus, Maldives Independent relaunched in 2025, out of the belief that the Maldives needed an independent newsroom more than ever.
“We wanted to rebuild trust, particularly with younger audiences who were becoming increasingly disconnected from traditional media, and create a sustainable newsroom supported by readers rather than political or commercial interests. That mission shapes everything we do, from our editorial choices to the way we build products and engage with our community”, said Nur Thoufeeq, Co-founder and CEO.
Recent achievements
When Maldives Independent relaunched in 2025, they wanted to build something more resilient. Today, the Maldives Independent is fully staff-owned, allowing them to protect their editorial independence while building a more sustainable future.
Rather than simply bringing back a news website, they reimagined what an independent newsroom could look like in a small island state at the forefront of global issues such as climate change. Alongside rebuilding their editorial team, they launched the Maldives’ first reader membership program, as well as a premium ‘palace gossip’ newsletter for institutional users such as embassies, businesses and international agencies. The response has been incredibly encouraging. Maldives Independent now has a growing community of readers and organisations who choose to financially support our mission because they believe independent journalism is worth sustaining.
At a time when media independence continues to face significant pressure, bringing back one of the country’s longest-running independent newsrooms on a reader-supported, staff-owned model has been an important milestone not only for their organisation, but for the wider Maldivian media landscape.
Impact on Communities and the Media Landscape
The relaunch has restored an independent voice at a time when the space for independent journalism in the Maldives is becoming increasingly constrained.
Maldives Independent now reaches 110,000 active users on their website every month and more than 1.1 million across Facebook and Instagram, which Nur Thoufeeq called “considerable reach given our population of 500,000!” Their newsletters consistently record open rates of between 60 and 75 per cent, and they are building a community of members and registered users who directly support independent journalism.
Maldives Independent’s journalism has also led to tangible public impact. Their reporting on Epstein’s ‘second island’ in his correspondence with a former president (and UNICEF director) Mohamed Waheed led to the resignation of his current role and a follow-up investigation with OCCRP. Their reporting on the case of a woman who killed her husband reached more than 250,000 people and helped bring national attention to battered woman syndrome, amplifying perspectives that had been largely absent from the public conversation, while their story on a rape survivor case contributed to the investigation being reactivated and progressing. Maldives Independent’s recent coverage of the world’s worst-recorded scuba diving tragedy is being turned into a documentary by an Oscar-winning film studio in the UK.
Culturally, Maldives Independent has put effort into preserving the Maldives’ native language, Dhivehi. While they primarily publish in English, they do have a Dhivehi edition.
“It’s a sad fact that the young people who make up the bulk of the population (and our audience!) are increasingly less literate in Dhivehi than in English, with many now struggling to speak to their grandparents. We’re trying to tackle this in our own way.”
To help the language live on, Maldives Independent has also created Fili: the country’s first daily Dhivehi word game, giving readers a fun reason to visit the site every day beyond the news, and keep the 2000-year-old Indo-Aryan language with its own entirely unique alphabet alive.
Maldives Independent in Dhivehi
Challenges and Strategic Approaches
Like many independent news organisations, Maldives Independent’s greatest challenge is achieving long-term financial sustainability while preserving complete editorial independence.
“We operate in a very small market where subscription culture is still developing, and independent journalism faces increasing legal and political pressure. In response, we have built a lean newsroom and diversified our revenue through reader memberships, institutional memberships, grants and carefully selected partnerships. We are also investing in products that strengthen our relationship with readers rather than relying solely on advertising.”
Maldives Independent’s goal is not simply to survive, but to demonstrate that independent journalism in a small island nation can be sustained by the community it serves. This is pragmatic as much as idealistic: donors have always overlooked the Maldives. Despite its struggles with everything from climate change to violent religious extremism, the Westernised image of the Maldives as an uninhabited resort paradise is pervasive.
Reflections on being a part of the GFMD network
“One of the biggest lessons from rebuilding the Maldives Independent is that independent journalism doesn’t have to be built alone. Networks like GFMD create opportunities to learn from organisations facing similar challenges and remind us that even small newsrooms can contribute to a stronger global media ecosystem.” – Nur Thoufeeq, Co-founder and CEO.
Connect with Maldives Independent
📧Nur Thoufeeq, CEO nur@maldivesindependent.com
🔗Website: https://maldivesindependent.com/
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