News Desk
The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has strongly condemned the President’s Office for restricting access to yesterday’s press conference held by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, after officials secretly invited select outlets while barring independent media.
The briefing, which marked President Muizzu’s first press conference after a gap of more than two months, was organized without the customary announcement in the official President’s Office media WhatsApp group. Instead, officials privately messaged a handpicked list of newsrooms, excluding several major independent outlets, including this outlet, and reporters critical of the administration.
In a statement issued yesterday, the MJA revealed it had received multiple complaints from established, professional news organizations that were shut out of the event. The association warned that cherry-picking outlets directly undermines press freedom and blocks the public from accessing information from the highest office in the country.
“We strongly condemn this action,” the MJA said. “We call on the President’s Office to treat all media organizations equally when disseminating information moving forward.”
Local outlet Viraasee sharply criticized the secretive arrangement, describing the invitation process as a “North Korea”-style tactic designed to bypass critical reporting and push government propaganda through state-friendly channels.
The decision to limit access comes amidst growing friction between the administration and independent journalists. The exclusion followed recent reporting by Dhauru, which fact-checked claims made last Saturday by Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef. After Dhauru published clarification from the affected parties, the President’s Office posted a statement on its official website labeling the outlet’s report untrue.
Excluded newsrooms reportedly lodged formal complaints with the President’s Office yesterday, but officials have refused to explain why specific media outlets were barred. While previous access restrictions by the administration primarily targeted journalists from Adhadhu, yesterday’s blackout marked a broader push to filter which newsrooms are allowed to question the President.
