The Story of Mizzima and Myanmar’s Independent Media
Following the 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s independent media faced relentless repression. Mizzima, one of the country’s most successful independent outlets, was stripped of its licenses, its offices raided, bank accounts seized, and staff arrested. Seven team members, including its co-founder, were imprisoned and tortured.
Yet Mizzima did not stop reporting. They quickly established production centers abroad and built clandestine networks of reporters inside the country. Despite the junta’s ongoing war of terror against the civilian population—amid nationwide resistance and the struggle for liberation, in the face of omnipresent police and informants, arrests, torture, raids, indiscriminate air bombardment, internet blackouts, power outages, and constant risks to anyone opposing the junta—the people of Myanmar have waged a heroic struggle for five years, and independent media have been there to follow and report on it.
Mizzima continues to reach millions. Their satellite TV broadcasts reach 32 million viewers, their Facebook page has 22 million followers, and they remain active on SW radio, FM, YouTube, and their website.
Even after losing USAID-backed funding this year, Mizzima has continued to adapt and search for new ways to diversify revenue and sustain independent reporting.
This story of resilience in conditions of war and repression is not Mizzima’s alone. Other independent media outlets—such as DVB, Myanmar Now, The Irrawaddy, Burma News International (BNI), Khit Thit Media, and more—share similar experiences of courage, creativity, and professional commitment in the face of the junta’s assault on press freedom.
Speakers:
▪ Soe Myint – Managing Director & Editor-in-Chief, Mizzima
▪ Toe Zaw Latt – General Secretary, Independent Press Council of Myanmar
▪ No No Lin – Deputy Director, Mizzima Media
Chair: Igor Blažević
Join us for this important discussion on the survival, endurance, heroism, adaptation, and relevance of independent media in Myanmar—and their crucial role in keeping truth, accountability, and hope alive.
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