JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

In times of shifting geopolitics and increasing challenges for independent journalism, supporting exiled media is more crucial than ever. Our Country Profiles for Afghanistan, Belarus, Russia, and Syria provide a detailed look at these fragile yet vibrant exiled media ecosystems. Combining regional context, audience data, and nuanced insights, the profiles highlight the critical role of exiled journalism in safeguarding truth under repressive regimes.

Whether a medium can survive in exile depends in most cases not only on whether it keeps up good work outside the country, but also on whether it is worthy of support in the eyes of large funding institutions. But who determines when a medium is worthy of support? What criteria can be used to evaluate exiled media and how can comparability be established without gray areas getting lost in the process?

With the increasing monopolization of information infrastructures on one side and targeted disinformation campaigns and propaganda by authoritarian regimes on the other, facts have become lonely things. However, for many exiled media outlets, this isn’t breaking news but rather a reality they have already adapted to. The constant need to innovate in response to new circumstances has given rise to unconventional business models.

Over the past year, Russia has done more than simply refine its already deeply repressive system – it is currently in the middle of building a new model of digital censorship, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on top of its already bloated propaganda budgets to ensure its people are fully isolated from independent and objective voices. One of the Kremlin’s most important targets: Russian independent media in exile.

When the Taliban took power three years ago, the previously thriving Afghan media landscape collapsed. Many journalists were forced to leave the country and now work remotely. Others have stayed and continue their work despite all dangers. How do editorial teams in exile deal with the challenge of accessing sources on the ground?

Media are sometimes forced to set up media companies in other countries because they cannot operate in their home countries, for example due to restrictive laws. Our Legal Navigator provides an overview of the legal framework for setting up a media company in selected countries that has been reviewed by specialist lawyers.