The International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) was established as an NGO in 1968 in Washington DC. The official mission of the NGO is to sustain individuals and institutions in order to enable a vibrant society. One of its seven areas of intervention is media development. Every year, IREX issues the Media Sustainability Index (MSI), with funding from USAID, providing in-depth analyses of the conditions for independent media in 80 countries across the world.