US begins direct talks with Myanmar's military government
The Trump administration is reversing its policy of isolating Myanmar's generals after the 2021 coup.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
US begins direct talks with Myanmar's military government
Photograph: Jerusalem Post (embedded from source)
What this story says
- The Trump administration has started direct talks with Myanmar's military government, reversing a policy of isolation.
- US Assistant Secretary of State Michael Vance played a role in initiating these discussions.
- The initial focus of the talks was on shutting down scam centers targeting Americans and securing the release of a detained US businessman.
- IndexHR reports that the discussions could also lead to access to Myanmar's rare earth elements.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 10 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 3 of the 13 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
50/100
Craft
45/100
Hype
40/100
13 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 1 of the 10 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
The Trump administration has begun direct conversations with Myanmar's military-installed government, a significant shift from Washington's policy of isolating the country's generals following the 2021 coup. US Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Michael Vance was involved in establishing these contacts. The initial discussions centred on closing down scam operations targeting Americans and securing the release of an American businessman.
Disagreement on specific meeting details
IndexHR reports that Michael Vance met with Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing on 15 and 16 September in Naypyitaw. This meeting, according to IndexHR, was focused on the release of American businessman Adam Castilla and opened the possibility for further contacts. Other reports do not specify the date or participants of a meeting, nor do they mention Adam Castilla by name.
Omissions in coverage
None of the right-rated digests mention the potential for access to Myanmar's rare earth elements, a detail reported by IndexHR. The right-rated digests also do not mention the specific date of Michael Vance's meetings or the air strike in Rakhine state that IndexHR reported.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 2 times, most recently on 8 Oct 2026, 08:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
1 rated outlet
- The single left-rated report, from IndexHR, led with the headline "Trump Opens the Door to Military Power in Myanmar. He Is Also Interested in Rare Metals." This report detailed the direct talks between the Trump administration and Myanmar's military authorities, noting it as a significant reversal of US policy. IndexHR highlighted Michael Vance's role and stated the talks could lead to access to Myanmar's rare earth elements. The report also mentioned that Min Aung Hlaing remains under US sanctions for human rights violations and noted a recent air strike by the Myanmar military that killed over 50 people.
Centre
4 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports focused on the US opening direct talks with Myanmar's generals, reversing years of isolation. Headlines from The Japan Times, Jerusalem Post, WTVB, and Reuters all highlighted this policy shift. The digests indicated that US outreach initially concentrated on targeting scam centres, with potential for broader engagement, including on Myanmar's mineral deposits, according to sources cited by The Japan Times. Jerusalem Post specifically mentioned Michael Vance's leading role in the outreach concerning scam centres targeting Americans. Reuters and WTVB noted the sharp reversal of Washington's efforts to isolate the country's generals after the 2021 coup.
Right
5 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports, including those from Free Malaysia Today News, Modern Diplomacy, 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency, Business Times, and The Straits Times, also led with the US opening direct talks with Myanmar's generals and reversing years of isolation. Modern Diplomacy framed the story with the question, "Why Is Washington Talking Directly to Myanmar’s Military Government?" The digests generally stated that the engagement initially focused on securing the release of an American businessman and shutting down scam networks. Business Times mentioned that the former US President Biden’s administration imposed sanctions after the 2021 coup, implying a contrast with the current administration's actions. Yonhap News Agency noted the direct dialogue with the Myanmar military regime, which has been subject to sanctions and isolation since the 2021 coup.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover US begins direct talks with Myanmar's military government?
- Of the 10 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 10% are rated left, 40% are rated centre, 50% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 13. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is US begins direct talks with Myanmar's military government left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 10 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of US begins direct talks with Myanmar's military government biased?
- US begins direct talks with Myanmar's military government is one event reported by 13 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting US begins direct talks with Myanmar's military government?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered US begins direct talks with Myanmar's military government?
- 13 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is the US doing differently regarding Myanmar?
- The Trump administration has begun direct talks with Myanmar's military-installed government. This marks a reversal of Washington's previous policy of isolating the country's generals after the 2021 coup.
- Who is involved in these new talks?
- US Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Michael Vance played a role in initiating these discussions. The talks are with Myanmar's military authorities.
- What are the initial goals of these discussions?
- The primary focus of the talks is on shutting down scam centers that target Americans and securing the release of an American businessman who is reportedly detained.
- What other potential outcomes are being discussed?
- IndexHR reports that these talks could also lead to broader cooperation, including potential access to Myanmar's rare earth elements.
Read it at the source
13 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
1Centre
4- U.S. opens direct talks with Myanmar’s generals, reversing years of isolation (opens The Japan Times in a new tab)
The Japan Times — is The Japan Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US begins direct talks with Myanmar in reversal of isolation attempts following military coup (opens Jerusalem Post in a new tab)
Jerusalem Post — is Jerusalem Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Exclusive-US opens direct talks with Myanmar’s generals, reversing years of isolation (opens WTVB in a new tab)
- EXCLUSIVE: US opens direct talks with Myanmar's generals, reversing years of isolation (opens Reuters in a new tab)
Right
5- US opens direct talks with Myanmar’s generals, reversing years of isolation (opens Free Malaysia Today News in a new tab)
Free Malaysia Today News — is Free Malaysia Today News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Why Is Washington Talking Directly to Myanmar’s Military Government? (opens Modern Diplomacy in a new tab)
Modern Diplomacy — is Modern Diplomacy biased? Our profile of this outlet
- U.S. Contacts Myanmar Military Government Directly... Shifts to Isolation Policy (opens 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency in a new tab)
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency — is 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US opens direct talks with Myanmar’s generals, reversing years of isolation (opens Business Times in a new tab)
Business Times — is Business Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US opens direct talks with Myanmar's generals, reversing years of isolation (opens The Straits Times in a new tab)
The Straits Times — is The Straits Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
3- US opens direct talks with Myanmar’s generals, reversing years of isolation (opens PressNewsAgency in a new tab)
PressNewsAgency — is PressNewsAgency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Opened the Door to Myanmar: the US Is Negotiating with the Generals (opens 24sata.hr in a new tab)
- After Years of Isolation, the US Began Negotiations with the Military Authorities in Myanmar (opens glasistre.hr in a new tab)
glasistre.hr — is glasistre.hr biased? Our profile of this outlet
How did this read?
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