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Media in Exile
Since April 2022, the JX Fund has supported 55 media outlets in the process of getting back up and running in exile.
Independent media are under threat.
We need to act.
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Journalists
With the support of the JX Fund, more than 1,600 journalists have been able to resume their work in exile.
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Countries
The journalists of the supported media in exile work in more than 25 countries.
News and press releases
Current developments and observations
JX Fund at the Journalism Funders Forum
At the Annual Journalism Funders Gathering 2023 in New York City, several panels discussed how to most effectively fund independent journalism. On one of these panels, the JX Fund was invited to report on its efforts to support media in exile, which play an important role in closing the information gaps that arise in authoritarian countries.
No safe places for exiled Russian journalists
An estimated 1,000 Russian journalists have gone into exile to escape the threat of prosecution in their home country. In Europe, many believe they are safe. But in April, the suspected poison attacks on two journalists and an opposition activist became known. One of them is Elena Kostyuchenko, a well-known Russian journalist with great resonance.
Exile Media Forum: In spite of all adversities
At this year’s Exile Media Forum in Hamburg, exiled journalists from around the world shared their experiences and strategies for continuing their work in exile. Although the reasons they have had to go into exile are as different as the conditions in their respective countries of residence, the challenges they face are often very similar.
Free journalism after the Russian war of aggression
The pressure on media critical of the Kremlin in Russia has increased again since the beginning of the war. Hundreds of journalists have since been forced into exile. Deutschlandfunk (DLF) talks to Russian journalists in exile and representatives of media organizations about current developments in the Russian media landscape. Penelope Winterhager, managing director of the JX Fund, comments on the needs of media in exile.
Exiled Afghan journalists: A community in transit
Two years ago, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. This has led to a systematic dismantling of civil rights and a stricter censorship of the media. More than half of the 547 media outlets that were registered in 2021 have since ceased to exist. But exiled media from Afghanistan bring a glimmer of hope. From October on, the JX Fund will start supporting Afghan media and media professionals in exile.
Three Co-Working and Co-Production spaces for exiled journalists
Berlin is becoming an important place for independent media in exile. These media and journalists need places where they can continue their work efficiently and in exchange with colleagues. With the support of the JX Fund, three co-working and co-production spaces are now being created in Berlin.
CURRENT PROJECTS AND PARTNERSHIPS
HOW WE SUPPORT JOURNALISM IN EXILE
The JX Fund holds regular funding rounds to deliver various forms of support tailored to the different phases of life in exile, including quick-response grants for emergency support as well as long-term structural support. Together with our partners, we initiate projects and instigate collaborations that offer targeted responses to current challenges and crises.
GRANTS
The JX Fund awards grants of varying amounts to help media outlets in exile get back on their feet. The prerequisite for applying is a clear and workable editorial concept and a medium-term financial and strategic plan for the further development and strengthening of the medium.
STUDY
The study “Rebuilding Russian Media in Exile – Successes, Challenges and the Road Ahead” investigated the factors that have led to the formation of geographic hubs in the exile media landscape, and what challenges journalists still face in these locations.
MEDIA INCUBATOR
The “Berlin Incubator for Media in Exile” (BIMEX) supports independent media outlets from Belarus and Russia to develop strategies for their work in exile. The focus of BIMEX is on providing knowledge to help exiles navigate the first steps of resettlement, as well as to build sustainable media outlets in exile.
MEDIA INCUBATOR
“BoostYourMedia: Ukraine Incubator” provided 10 Ukrainian media outlets with individualized support with setting up and maintaining sustainable structures in times of war. The program was aimed at media outlets with an international audience and hybrid editorial teams.
INFORMATION PLATFORM
On the information platform “Shpargalka,” at-risk journalists from Belarus and Russia can find answers to 21 of the most frequently asked legal questions around living in exile, from leaving the country to setting up a media outlet in their new place of residence.
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The “Critical Voices” fellowship program supports media professionals after they have fled conflict zones to continue their work in exile. In addition to support in acquiring the necessary residence permit, the media professionals were offered various training courses.
LEGAL AID CENTER
The legal aid center for independent journalists from Russia offers support in defending journalists against prosecution by the Russian state and documents instances of injustice for use in future legal cases.
RESEARCH GRANTS
The “Connecting the Dots” research grants have provided support to media outlets from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine in forging partnerships with German organizations. This project placed a focus on data-based and investigative research, as well as on multimedia reporting.
WORKSHOP
In the four-day workshop “Decolonizing Journalism,” journalists engaged in a critical interrogation of the legacies of Russian colonialism and its continued effects on journalism in the post-Soviet region.
