Lack of funding and its impact on journalistic quality
In Myanmar, many journalists are taking on additional work as a funding crisis for media organisations takes hold, according to the Reuters Institute.
In the context of Myanmar’s civil war, several media outlets and journalists are now operating in exile, with the military junta governing Myanmar acting to suppress the press. Combined with a crisis in journalism funding, several journalists find themselves compelled to take on secondary jobs as taxi drivers, part-time accountants, or food stall vendors, according to a Reuters Institute study. These side jobs are essential due to reductions, or even the complete suspension, of journalists’ salaries—a journalist even notes that reporting has become a hobby—and to support newsroom financing so that journalists can continue reporting.
These difficulties lead to a greater emphasis on journalistic performance and algorithms rather than on the quality of journalism. One journalist interviewed by the Reuters Institute notes that the monetisation of posts on platforms has become, essentially, the most important factor: what audiences like and what generates greater engagement. This is a reality that creates “discomfort” and a sense of “shame”. Journalists report feeling frustrated by this trend, which they argue inevitably harms the quality of journalism.
Following the 2021 military coup, the financial situation of journalism in Myanmar deteriorated significantly, a scenario that worsened with the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2025. In a report by a consortium between Internews Europe, BBC Media Action and Free Press Unlimited (“Crisis in Journalism: The Impact of the US Government Funding Cuts on Global Media”), it was found that the closure of USAID had consequences such as: “media closures and layoffs are widespread”; increased risks for journalists, particularly those who were/are in conflict zones; the disappearance of trusted local media—for example, community radio stations in countries such as South Sudan or Afghanistan, which were the only reliable source of information; and an “increase in disinformation threats” because “authoritarian actors and foreign influence campaigns” have greater scope to exploit “weakened media spaces”.
The closure of this international development support organisation led to a loss of 150 million US dollars in annual funding for journalism and the information ecosystem—a support essential to the survival of several media outlets in authoritarian and high-risk contexts.
