The winning stories of Journalist When I decided to become a journalist, I had no idea how profoundly this profession would change my life. At the time, I understood journalism simply as the work of finding the truth and bringing it to the public. But as the years passed, I came to understand that being a journalist is about much more than writing the news. It also means learning to live with the grief, fear and hope contained in the stories we witness. I am a journalist. But

Winning Stories by Journalist I was 19 years old. If someone had asked me what frightened me most in life, I would have said death. Yet on the night of October 21, 2021, I tried to end my own life. Inside the room, a young woman from our protest group was asleep. On the table were 200,000 kyat I needed to pay for a motorcycle the next day, drafts from the news story I had been working on the night before, and a coil of rope. I did not want to think anymore. I had already thou

“Can I keep doing this work?” I have asked myself that question more times than I can count. When I first entered journalism as a young person, I was full of energy, conviction, and dreams. I believed journalism was a way to uncover the truth and to make sure people’s voices were heard. Four years later, I began to realize that somewhere along the way, I was slowly losing parts of myself. When I was 19, I never imagined that the career I chose would become both my livelihood

By Justino This story is one of five selected pieces by Exile Hub fellows, sharing their personal experiences and reflections through storytelling. The views and experiences expressed in this piece belong to the author Ever since I was around ten years old—old enough to begin thinking seriously about the world—I admired journalists. Watching them work, I was fascinated by a profession that seemed so distant from my own life. At the time, journalism was simply something I admi

Exile Hub stands in solidarity with the students, young people, workers, and communities across India who have mobilised in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement to demand meaningful education reform. What began as a response to repeated examination paper leaks and the tragic suicides of 21 students has grown into a broader movement against corruption, and the growing precarity faced by millions of young people, and institutions that serve political and economic elites ins

Ma Nay Chi Phyo, a freelance journalist and one of the participants of How She Did it’s Zin Yaw Women Rising program in 2025, describes the experience as a turning point that transformed not only her digital skills, but also her confidence, self-esteem, and understanding of her own potential. Before joining the program, Nay Chi mainly contributed articles through more traditional forms of journalism and writing. Although she had already been actively producing stories and inf

Some left to survive. Others stayed to witness. Together, they ensure the story is still told. For journalists from Myanmar, this is no longer a choice between profession and safety, it is a daily negotiation between survival and responsibility. As the world marks World Press Freedom Day, the meaning of “press freedom” feels increasingly fragile. Since the political crisis intensified, journalists have faced arrests, surveillance, and the systematic dismantling of independent

What you see in the frame is a woman holding a camera in a war zone. What you don’t see is everything beyond it, the sound of aircraft overhead, the fear of a second strike, and people running for safety. While others fled, Myat Moe Thu, a recipient of Exile Hub’s Critical Voices Fellowship 2026, moved toward the scene. A journalist reporting from the border areas between Shan and Kayah (Karenni) States, she documents the realities of war as they unfold. On the day this image

Some stories are not told loudly. Some stories are spoken in a moment of pause, in a lowered voice, when someone finally feels safe enough to speak. Along the Thailand–Myanmar border, many people carry unspoken burdens; stories of conflict, displacement, loss, and lives interrupted. Often, the first step toward healing is not advice, it is being heard. Exile Hub’s Wellbeing Coordinator, Carol, holds space for these moments every day. She listens to journalists forced to fle

On the Thai-Myanmar border, many lives are quietly being rebuilt. Behind every story of displacement is a person learning to begin again often with uncertainty, limited opportunities, and the weight of everything left behind. This is the story of Thapyay, one of many Myanmar women living in exile who continues to move forward with courage and determination. Before the coup, she was a university lecturer and Associate Professor in Central Myanmar, dedicating more than 20 years

Three women. Three stories. One powerful reminder that storytelling can challenge silence and build movements. For generations, the voices of women and queer communities in Myanmar have often been silenced, misrepresented, or pushed to the margins. Yet despite conflict, displacement, and shrinking civic space, feminist storytellers continue to write, document, and create. As a grassroots feminist organization, by centering and supporting the voices of human rights defenders w

On 1 February 2021, Myanmar’s military overthrew a democratically elected government. The coup marked a profound rupture—reshaping political awareness, resistance, and everyday life for millions of people inside the country and in exile. Five years on, the struggle continues. But the forms and conditions of resistance have changed. Alongside courage and defiance, many journalists, human rights defenders, and displaced communities are now carrying deep exhaustion. This fatigue

Fleeing Home, Fighting for Freedom: The Unbreakable Spirit of a Storyteller Nay Nay’s journey began not in a bustling newsroom, but on the serene Rakhine coast of Myanmar. Yet fate had a different path in store, one that led her into the heart of truth-telling during Myanmar’s darkest moments. The military coup shattered Myanmar’s fragile peace in 2021. Journalists quickly became targets, and the danger of arrest grew impossible to ignore. As the risk to her partner, also a w

From childhood aspiration to championing women’s voices in Myanmar Kant Kaw’s journey into journalism officially began in 2009, but the story started long before that. As a child, she devoured books of every kind, captivated by the power of language. She dreamed of becoming a writer, yet understood early that writing alone could not sustain her. So she pursued practical jobs while holding on to her passion. Everything changed the day she discovered journalism. For her, it was

As a filmmaker shaped by her grandmother’s quiet defiance, Verse uses storytelling to challenge gender bias and uplift women whose voices are too often erased. Verse began her professional journey in 2018 as a reporter at a local news agency. She dreamed of covering political news, but quickly was met with systemic gender bias. During a major assignment, male reporters were sent to Nay Pyi Taw to cover parliament-related matters and she was told to stay behind. She recalled t

From an early age, Dr. Elizabeth was known for her imagination, a young girl in Central Myanmar who loved losing herself in Chinese fantasy novels and stories of courage. Her aunt’s small book rental shop became her haven, where she spent countless hours dreaming up her own worlds and writing her own stories. In medical school, she started a blog site where she published love poems alongside creative “edutainment” pieces like why handwashing matters or the importance of wear

Photo Credit - Ai Illustration On this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Exile Hub extends its unwavering support to the media professionals in Myanmar and in exile who, despite immense personal risk, continue their vital work of documenting, reporting, and amplifying voices otherwise silenced. A Most Dangerous Profession Since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, the space for independent journalism has shrunk dramatically. According

How Exile Hub’s Hummingbird Workshop fostered both safety and strength in Myanmar’s exile community At Exile Hub, we believe resilience...

Ready to Listen, Ready to Support At Exile Hub, we know that being a Human Rights Defender (HRD) or journalist often means carrying...