This small news publisher in the Maldives is betting on investigative journalism to rebuild itself

“If we can't talk to the younger generation, we can't protect our values. It was the right moment to start anew," said columnist Mohamed Saif Fathih on the relaunch of the newspaper. Minivan News , founded in 2004, was one of the first online newspapers in the Maldives, building a reputation for award-winning public-interest reporting. More than 20 years later, the newsroom has relaunched as the Maldives Independent , with a renewed commitment to groundbreaking journalism and a focus on reaching online audiences. The lean, full-time editorial team comprises editor-in-chief Ahmed Naish and two senior journalists, alongside CEO Nur Thoufeeq. Working with a network of freelancers, a CTO and a contracted design team, the newsroom has big ambitions: it launched a membership programme in November 2025, aims to grow its core funding, and is working to rebuild its reputation and reach in a shrinking independent media space. Since its relaunch, the newsroom has covered a pivotal legal case in which Battered Woman Syndrome was recognised as a valid partial defence for the first time. It has also worked with OCCRP to investigate an island investment deal proposed by a former president of the Maldives and revealed in the Epstein Files. In this Q&A, co-founders Nur Thoufeeq, CEO; Ahmed Naish, editor-in-chief; and columnist Mohamed Saif Fathih discuss their plans for the newsroom, how reporting from the Maldives has changed, and the challenges of relaunching a news brand. Q. Minivan News , which later became the Maldives Independent in 2015, ran until 2020. Why did the newsroom suspend operations? Mohamed Saif Fathih (MSF): Part of the reason was that we were tired. One of our journalists [Ahmed Rilwan] was disappeared and one of our contributors [Yameen Rasheed] was killed , so our mind was not really there. We didn't know where to get funding and were fed up with the system. There was a presidential commission to investigate the murders and the enforced disappearance, but it didn't work. We didn't close down because we wanted to quit writing, but because we had to. Q. What prompted the relaunch? MSF: We couldn't just abandon the Maldives Independent . It's part of our lives. I started translating for the paper when I was 16; I’m now 33. The name was important because it comes with a reputation and integrity attached. We were known to do quality reporting. We were known to talk to people, have different perspectives, write about hard things. We got together and thought: this cannot go on, we have to start writing. We have to start communicating with the younger generation. They're not interested in legacy media. There's no confidence there and the news cycle just seemed repetitive. We realised that the biggest chunk of people who wanted change, but didn't come out and vote were the younger people. If we can't talk to them, we can't protect the values that we [as the Maldives Independent ] stood for. It was the right moment to start anew. Ahmed Naish ( AN): It was always meant to be temporary, it just took five years. Q. You’ve told me that support from newsrooms and colleagues outside of the Maldives was crucial to the reboot, in particular help from Premesh Chandran, co-founder and CEO of Malaysiakini and its model; Roman Gautam, editor of Himal Southasian ; and JJ Robinson, former managing editor of Minivan News and formerly of Open Society Foundations. What has changed and what has stayed the same? Nur Thoufeeq ( NT): A large percentage of our audience thought we were brand new to the market. We highlighted the history of the Maldives Independent during the relaunch in newsletters, social media… Read more