Concerns mount over state media funding; Calls for transparency and better review

Four prominent media organizations have publicly raised concerns over the MVR 28 million state-funded media grant, alleging that the allocation process lacked transparency and fairness, and may have involved conflicts of interest.

The criticism follows the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts’ announcement that 18 registered media outlets will receive funding from the state budget—an initiative tied to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s electoral pledge to support independent journalism.

Among the critics:

• Starcom Solutions, operator of Sauvees Online, questioned why outlets with low readership and minimal daily output were selected, stating that some recipients publish fewer than five stories a day.

• The Standard, run by activist Ahmed Ashraf (Shumba Gong), highlighted the MVR 1.34 million allocation to The Press, a newspaper reportedly managed by State Minister Ali Shamaan, who was involved in the grant process. The Standard called the scheme “unfair and non-transparent.”

• Orca Media Group, which operates MV Plus, flagged three issues: the grant to The Press, the MVR 5.1 million awarded to Sangu Media (linked to Youth Minister Ibrahim Waheed, also known as Asward), and the lack of public criteria for selection.

• Vaguthu, one of the Maldives’ largest online dailies, criticized the absence of proper evaluation, noting that outlets with negligible output were awarded nearly MVR 1 million. They called for consideration of employee count, content volume, and viewership in future disbursements.

Both Orca Media Group and Dominion Network Pvt Ltd (publisher of The Standard) have called for:

• An immediate suspension of fund disbursements

• A full independent audit of the allocation process

• A new impartial committee with no political ties

• Public disclosure of evaluation criteria and decision justifications

The controversy has sparked broader debate about media independence, especially as the Maldives continues to implement the Media and Broadcasting Regulation Law, which has drawn criticism for its potential to restrict press freedom.