Media Development Investment Fund

05/04/2026

is one of the most vibrant landscapes in the world that offers everything from oppressive media environments to an innate culture of .

Whatever your perception, Asia challenges it.


On 14 May 2026, MDIF will launch "Defying Expectations: Essays on innovation, resilience, and sustainability in independent media across South and Southeast Asia" at the The Foreign Correspondents'​ Club of Thailand (FCCT), .


This new publication brings together eleven from media practitioners working across diverse markets in South and
.

Drawn from MDIF’s Amplify Asia and Media Program, the report highlights real-world examples of how independent media are strengthening , adapting to digital change and building resilient organizations, often in highly challenging political and financial environments.


From a media outlet operating and thriving in , to a legacy outlet in leveraging to scale output, these stories reflect a wide spectrum of geographies, audiences and approaches.

Together, they offer practical insights not only for media, but for and mission-driven organizations navigating uncertainty and resource constraints.


The launch event will convene leading voices from media, civil society, and to exchange ideas, discuss, debate and explore opportunities for collaboration to ensure a more future for Asian media.

The launch event will take place between 14:00 – 16:30.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP here👇

You are invited to the Media Development Investment Fund’s report launch: “Defying Expectations: Essays on innovation, resilience, and sustainability in independent media across South and Southeast Asia.” The event will take place on Thursday, 14 May 2026, from 14:00 to 16:30, at the Foreign C...

03/11/2026

Independent across and operate under intense pressure.

Financial sustainability is the difference between surviving and closing.

Alongside its investments, Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) works with independent media through mentorship and programs designed to strengthen their businesses.

MDIF's program partners in have spent the last few years solving a wide array of challenges related to dramatic digital trends, , audience engagement, and legal protections.

This video highlights the work of MDIF team members, coaches and partners from the Media Program and Amplify Asia. They share how coaching, technical support and strategic guidance helped them address concrete business challenges and take steps toward long-term sustainability.

As we prepare to publish a report on MDIF’s work across Asia, this video offers a glimpse of the people and partnerships behind that progress.

Watch the full video 👇

MDIF would like to thank our independent media partners across South and Southeast Asia for participating in the program and sharing their valuable insights with the cohort.

Thal Nyein Thu

02/24/2026

In 2025, as global funding started to dry up, media outlets in faced an existential question: can independent survive without donor dependency when operating in exile?

Over the course of a year, MDIF partners Myanmar Now and ’s Luật Khoa are proving that it very much can.

Both operate in exile, driven by deep commitment to their countries and communities.

Over the past two years, with support from MDIF's , they shifted toward audience-first : launching , redesigning products, building models and introducing paid .

By the time the donor funding dropped, Myanmar Now had already built an English-language subscription service and Luật Khoa had forayed into breaking news and daily newsletters, growing audience revenue week by week.

The writing on the wall is clear: exile media can generate revenue, not by compromising independence, but by strengthening their relationship with audiences.

Read more 👇

By Dávid Tvrdoň, MDIF coach In 2025, the global media landscape experienced a major shift in accessible aid and funding. And I’m not just talking about the gutting of USAID, that was merely the culmination of a trend many had warned about for years, while others kept dismissing such a possibilit...

02/13/2026

Pakistan Press International (PPI) has been reporting from Pakistan for nearly seven decades. And today, with technological interventions that brought the news agency up to date with the changing times, it feels a classic car with a brand-new engine.

Since joining MDIF's Amplify Asia program, PPI has been going through a rapid transformation: modernizing workflows, scaling output, and rethinking its business model, without compromising the credibility that has kept it trusted through decades of political upheaval.

Under third-generation leader Sana Ali, PPI began experimenting with AI two years ago, starting where speed and structure matter most: stock market news. From using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to building customized solutions with an AI company, the goal was clear: increase efficiency while keeping journalists accountable.

The results are striking: PPI now produces 40,000+ stories per month, a tenfold increase, and has boosted database revenue by around 600%.

But this isn’t “AI replacing journalism.” PPI created a clear SOP from day one, ensuring AI supports the process while humans remain responsible for accuracy, ethics, and quality.

Read the full article about how PPI is leveraging AI for better productivity and efficiency:

By Tosca Santoso, MDIF coach This independent news agency, operating for nearly seven decades in Pakistan, is like a car with a new engine. Pakistan Press International (PPI) is undergoing rapid and fundamental transformation, from its working methods to its business model. The new generation of man...

02/11/2026

"As , we often lack the expertise to develop the side of our . We are so focused on our editorial work that we neglect and ."

When the independent outlet Pranaya Rana headed as its Chief Editor went out of business, he decided to take the plunge and turn his side hustle, a political analysis , into his main gig.

The question he faced was the same that any creator deciding to fly solo does. How to his work and stay financially afloat?

"I was unsure that this was possible. As a career journalist, I was confident of the content I was producing but had little idea how to monetize a newsletter and pursue strategic audience growth and revenue. This is where Amplify Asia came in," he says.

16 months since Kalam Weekly joined MDIF's coaching program for independent media, and after intensive customized from audience and product strategist Kim Bode, the newsletter's gross annualized spiked by more than 180%, with 4,680 free subscribers and over 200 paid supporters by November 2025.

What has this journey been like? And what are some lessons Pranaya learnt that could help other journalists planning to go solo?

Read here 👉

By Pranaya Rana, Founding Editor, Kalam Weekly The Nepali media landscape is flourishing. There are dozens of newspapers, both national and local, hundreds of digital media outlets and a plethora of new media offerings like podcasts, video explainers and social media pages. Yet the average Nepali au...

02/11/2026

"When laughter becomes dangerous, hashtag turns into an act of courage"

This line by Simu Naser from his recently penned article encapsulates the story of , ’s bold satire platform that he founded in 2017.

Now a prominent cohort member of MDIF's Amplify program, Earki has turned , irony, , , and sharp into a real tool for .

Born in 2017, when free expression was shrinking and political satire was fading from mainstream , Earki stepped in to do what does best: make people laugh at power, and think differently about it.

When Earki joined MDIF’s Amplify Asia program last year, they already had the and cultural credibility.

What they needed was stronger systems to sustain and scale.

How did Amplify Asia do that?

Find out from the founder, in his own words:

By Simu Naser, Earki Founder and Chief Editor When laughter becomes dangerous, satire turns into an act of courage. That has been the story of Earki, Bangladesh’s most daring digital satire platform – one that has spent nearly the past decade pushing the boundaries of free expression through wit...

09/24/2024

A free press is essential to create an informed & open society, ultimately helping it move closer to the United Nations' .

As the influence of regimes, and continues to grow over what we read, watch, listen and think, fact-based, accurate will have to work doubly hard to defend the and help us make sense of the quickly changing world.

If you are someone who cares about a , join WAN-IFRA, Daily Maverick and Canadian Journalism Foundation's campaign to celebrate the people who continue to report the truth in times of intense upheaval.

This World News Day (28 September), let's celebrate journalism. Let's celebrate the . Let’s celebrate .



More information👉 https://wan-ifra.org/2024/09/global-news-industry-launches-choose-truth-campaign-ahead-of-world-news-day/

09/10/2024

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09/10/2024

🔍 📊 🔢 Our work summarized in numbers!

Here we look back on our and efforts that supported in 2023.

These numbers are a part of a larger Year in Review report where we take stock of all the work we did to support independent media around the world!

📝 Full report is here:https://www.mdif.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MDIFFinal_2023Review.pdf
📊 View the info-graphic here: https://www.mdif.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/infographic-final.jpg