As part of our series of case studies for the MediaDev Insider exploring the resilience of media in crisis contexts, GFMD spoke with Soe Myint, Founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of Mizzima Media Group, about the organisation’s survival amid escalating repression in Myanmar and a sudden freeze in international funding.
| 14. July 2025
Since the military coup of February 2021, independent journalism in Myanmar has faced unprecedented suppression. Outlets like Mizzima have been outlawed, forcing them into semi-underground operations fraught with danger and skyrocketing operational costs.
“7% of our staff have been arrested and tortured in the last four years,” Soe Myint emphasised. “We continue to operate from within Myanmar, under constant threat of surveillance, bombings, and airstrikes. The risks to our lives and our mission are enormous.”
The organisation has also had to invest in entirely independent infrastructure to function under military rule.
“We need our own facilities, including satellite internet—we simply cannot rely on the normal internet infrastructure anymore. The Myanmar military has cut off internet access in the areas under our control and operation. That’s another reason our operational expenses have sharply increased”.
These challenges were further compounded by the U.S. government’s abrupt announcement in January 2025 to halt media development funding, which had previously accounted for up to 20-30% of Mizzima’s annual budget.
“There was no notice—just an immediate freeze. It was a big blow to the difficulties we were already facing since mid-2023”.
In response to the growing financial gap, Mizzima has adopted a two-pronged strategy: diversifying donor sources and increasing self-generated revenue.
The organisation has cultivated support from European governments, UN-affiliated agencies, and regional embassies—including those of Sweden, Poland, and Luxembourg. It is also exploring thematic opportunities, such as funding from the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).
At the same time, Mizzima is monetising its large digital audience:
“Our Facebook page alone has more than 2 million followers, and our YouTube channel has over 3 million subscribers. We are now aiming to increase our self-generated income from around 5% to over 10% of our annual budget”
This includes working with Burmese diaspora communities, particularly in Thailand, through targeted subscription models, donations, and advertising opportunities. One notable example is the launch of a dedicated YouTube channel and TV content stream catering to over 7 million Burmese living in Thailand.
Additionally, Mizzima Media Group has evolved its training programs to address the frontline nature of journalism in conflict zones:
“We’ve added first aid training to our reporter workshops so that they can contribute both to frontline reporting and humanitarian response in crisis zones,” he emphasised.
Beyond domestic collaboration, Mizzima is expanding partnerships across the region. It has begun co-producing content with Thai PBS, Thailand’s public broadcaster.
“Thai PBS does not need donor funding because it’s publicly funded, but we do. So we jointly create content and use that partnership to approach international donors. We’re expanding similar collaborations with media actors in India and Bangladesh”, Soe noted.
This cross-border content production aims to not only share local stories but also tap into regional funding channels, opening new possibilities for media resilience in crisis regions.
Soe Myint emphasised that, while long-term sustainability is the goal, the current situation demands targeted donor support, particularly in the form of core, unrestricted funding.
“Donors must recognise this is not a normal media market. We’re banned in our own country, we can’t run traditional ads, and we operate with generators and satellite internet from hideouts.”
He noted that, while most of Mizzima’s platforms—TV, web, and social media—remain active despite the U.S. funding cut, one significant casualty has been the suspension of their FM radio stations.
“We had to shut them down,” Soe said. “That’s painful because in many remote areas, FM was the only reliable source of news, especially in local ethnic languages.”
He urged the international donor community to continue supporting operational and safety costs, and to recognise the critical role of independent media in conflict zones: documenting human rights violations, disseminating life-saving information, and offering a voice to the voiceless.
Through diversification, innovation, and resilience, Mizzima continues to defy the odds. But as Soe warned,
“Without sustained donor commitment, we risk losing the last independent voices in Myanmar.”