As a publication produced by former Burmese activists who fled violent crackdowns on anti-military protests in 1988, it has always been closely associated with the pro-democracy movement, although it remains unaffiliated with any of the political groups that have emerged since the 8888 Uprising.

[2] The BIG initially circulated The Irrawaddy amongst foreign embassies, human rights groups and the Burmese exile community to update on developments inside Burma in the wake of the suppression of the pro-democracy movement and the consolidation of military control under the State Law and Order Restoration Council.

[2] The BIG's main offices were relocated to Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1995–96, and the organization was renamed the Irrawaddy Publishing Group in 1999 to coincide with an expansion of the magazine's focus to include other political issues in Southeast Asia.

[3][4] In 2012, following legislative reforms to end Burma's decades-old system of prepublication censorship and the granting of new media licenses, The Irrawaddy opened a bureau in Rangoon and gradually moved its editorial operations into the country, while maintaining a legacy presence in Chiang Mai.

The editor of the English edition is Kyaw Zwa Moe, younger brother of Aung Zaw, who was jailed for eight years while a high school student in Rangoon and joined The Irrawaddy after his release.

Although Kyaw Zwa Moe, an editor at The Irrawaddy, insists that the publication aims to remain unbiased, there are concerns that a shift towards a more commercial model may be impacting editorial decisions, potentially aligning with local business interests.

Prompted by the website's syndication of a wire story reporting a cooperation agreement between the 969 Movement and Sri Lanka’s Bodu Bala Sena Buddhist nationalist organization,[15] the front page was defaced to read: “Irrawaddy supports Jihad and Radical Muslims.