A Message From The Irrawaddy Team

Dear Friends, Warm greetings from The Irrawaddy! We hope this message finds you well. This is our mid-year message to seek your kind support to help us reach our 31st year in independent journalism and continue making an impact. The war in northern Shan State, floods in central Myanmar, online scam centers on the borders with China and Thailand, wealthy cronies and other crooks, internally displaced civilians and refugees on the run, and daily life in Myanmar have been our daily focus for the last six months. Getting little rest, our die-hard editors never complained—though they did drop the occasional gentle reminder that, "We work 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day" and even on weekends! Our robust, committed team of 62 staff and eight citizen journalists (CJs) worked hard over the past six months to report news from Myanmar to keep our audiences inside and outside the country informed. We remain one of the most trusted news sources and thought leaders on events in Myanmar, providing insightful discussions and in-depth, unbiased analyses that shape opinion and make an impact. Putting their own security at risk, our team members and CJs inside the country, including in conflict-riven areas, have been chasing stories, images and voices on the ground. Each month during the period, our newsrooms produced at least 100 written articles, at least 60 video stories, and at least eight podcast episodes in both Burmese and English. We also published three impactful and insightful investigative reports. Though we continued to face challenges in reaching our audience inside Myanmar due to the ban on our Facebook and the junta's recent VPN ban, which is aimed at slowing down Facebook access, our audience found a way to follow our news through other platforms, particularly our YouTube channel. The number of subscribers to The Irrawaddy's YouTube channel increased more than 36 percent, while the number of monthly views reached over 11 million per month, with the highest number recorded in June, at over 17 million views. The question now is how Myanmar's struggling exile and independent news outlets can survive over the long haul. Will they? We simply just don't know. The war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza have dominated the front pages of international publications—to say nothing of the looming US election this year. The Myanmar issue received very modest international media coverage by comparison. We are not going to give up our work or our commitment to our audiences, particularly given the current situation in the country. In order to sustain our work, retain our dedicated staff, and keep our audience informed, we really need your support. Your generosity in the past has been instrumental in allowing The Irrawaddy to continue our work, and we are grateful for your support. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference. Your contribution will help The Irrawaddy continue making an impact. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support. We look forward to continuing our work together. Yours sincerely, The Irrawaddy Team Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom. Unsubscribe from this list Copyright © 2024 The Irrawaddy. All rights reserved.