NICARAGUA

  • March 19, 2025
  • Countries
CONTEXT

NICARAGUAN MEDIA IN EXILE SINCE 2018

Independent Nicaraguan media operate almost entirely from exile, with over 25 journalistic initiatives providing news coverage mostly from Costa Rica, Spain, and the U.S. The first mass relocation began in 2018, when the Ortega regime violently repressed protests. This included a brutal attack against the independent press: the assassination of reporter Angel Gahona, the assault against Radio Darío, physical attacks and harassment against reporters, closing of independent media outlets Confidencial and 100% Noticias, and the incarceration of journalists Miguel Mora and Lucía Pineda – all these measures pushed dozens of journalists into exile. Despite the return of some journalists in late 2019, the repression escalated again in 2021. Authorities have weaponized the judicial system against journalists, relying on two repressive laws, the Cybercrime Law and the Foreign Agents Law, to criminalize independent reporting. Arbitrary arrests, asset seizures, and the outright confiscation of media properties have become common tactics.

The second and massive wave of media relocation took place in 2021 and continued in the following years. In 2024, the last group of at least 30 independent reporters, were forced to leave to exile, as a result of police persecution.  The state has taken over entire newsrooms, replacing independent journalism with official propaganda. As a result, at least 283 media workers (including 217 journalists) fled the country, more than 60 media outlets were been confiscated or closed.

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6.1

MILLION

According to the United Nations, the currently estimated population of Nicaragua is 6.1 million people.

26

MEDIA OUTLETS

The JX Fund is constantly tracking the development of 26 independent exiled media from Nicaragua.

5.7

MILLION

As of January 2025, 26 Nicaraguan exiled media observed by the JX Fund account for 5.7 million Facebook followers.

AT A GLANCE

INDEPENDENT NICARAGUAN EXILED MEDIA

Press Freedom

  • Press Freedom Index: 29.2 (163rd out of 180 countries)
  • Freedom House Democracy Index: 14/100 – Not Free
  • Violence Against Journalists: Independent media face severe censorship, intimidation, and threats, and journalists endure harassment campaigns, arbitrary arrests, and death threats. Many have been forced to flee the country, and dozens have been stripped of their citizenship. Following the 2018 protests, the Ortega-controlled Assembly created laws in 2020 to persecute opponents, independent journalists, and civil society. Among them was a Cybercrime Law used since 2021, used to punish alleged fake news.
    • Conviction of the sports correspondent Miguel Mendoza for criticizing the government on social media. He was accused of spreading fake news and of being a “traitor to the homeland”, and sentenced to nine years in prison.
    • The media outlets Confidencial and 100% Noticias had already been subjected to raids and confiscations in 2018. 6 journalists were declared as traitors.
    • Incarceration of Lucia Pineda Ubau and Miguel Mora, following the raids of December 2018 against Confidencial and 100% Noticias. The repressive wave caused its director Carlos Fernando Chamorro to go into exile for the first time.
    • La Prensa’s director and former director were charged with money laundering or treason in 2021, without any evidence ever being presented.
    • A legal case against the now defunct Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation was used to intimidate dozens of journalists who ended up being banished from the country with their nationality taken away under the accusation of “treason”.
    • Murder of the journalist Angel Gahona, who was shot during a live coverage of protests.
  • Administrative Measures: The Ortega regime in Nicaragua is escalating its crackdown on press freedom, targeting independent journalists with harassment, detention, and censorship. Two new laws—on cybercrime and foreign agents—restrict reporting and silence dissent. Despite fleeing the country, journalists face retaliation risks and report from exile using collaborative methods.
  • Internet Censorship: 41/100 – Partly Free
  • Internet Penetration: 61% (2022 est.)

Population & Demographics

  • Population: 6.1 million (United Nations)
  • Age structure:
    • 0-14 years: 25.1% (855,256 male / 818,714 female)
    • 15-64 years: 68.9% (2,240,297 male / 2,360,244 female)
    • 65 years and over: 6 % (178,347 male / 224,090 female)
  • Religions:
    • Roman Catholic 44.9%
    • Protestant 38.7% (Evangelical 38.2, Adventist 0.5%)
    • other 1.2% (includes Jehova’s Witness and Church of Jesus Christ)
    • believer but not belonging to church 1%
    • agnostic or atheist 0.4%, none 13.7%
    • unspecified 0.2% (2020 est.)
  • Languages:
    • Spanish (official) 99.5%
    • Indigenous 0.3%
    • Portuguese 0.1%
    • other 0.1%
  • Literacy rate: 82.6%
  • Income: GDP per capita: $7,300 (2023)

Data by CIA – The World Factbook (last updated March 13, 2025)

Media System in the Country

For nearly two centuries, Nicaragua’s media landscape has been shaped by political and social upheavals. Since the establishment of its first official newspaper, La Gaceta de Nicaragua, in 1830, the country has witnessed the rise and fall of numerous media outlets, spanning newspapers, radio stations, and television channels. However, press freedom has long been fragile, with successive governments silencing dissent by shutting down critical media. Today, Nicaragua’s media environment is deeply polarized, divided into three main factions: state-controlled outlets managed by the presidential family, independent media operating largely from exile, and private channels owned by Mexican businessman Luis Ángel González. Television remains the dominant source of news, followed closely by radio, but internet usage, especially among younger audiences, is growing rapidly. Despite constitutional protections, journalists face mounting government restrictions, threats, and violence, leading to an unprecedented crackdown on independent reporting. In recent years, the state has nearly eradicated independent journalism within Nicaragua. Large independent players like Confidencial and La Prensa operate from exile, but their audience remains significant and has been growing since 2018. Alongside these, smaller digital outlets such as Divergentes, Galería News, and Onda Local cater to niche audiences, focusing on investigative journalism, visual storytelling, and regional issues. Historically, independent media played a key role in Nicaragua, but government control has reshaped consumer habits. Television, once a major information source, is now mostly under state influence. Facing widespread censorship, many Nicaraguans now reject state-run media, instead turning to encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook for uncensored news. Exiled media outlets have adapted to this digital shift, leveraging online platforms to maintain their reach despite government-imposed restrictions. Meanwhile, Nicaragua’s journalist community has grown smaller and more precarious. To maintain the work of the media teams in host countries, which are generally more expensive, the independent media can afford to cover the work of small teams. Many experienced journalists have been forced into exile, leaving younger professionals to take on greater responsibilities. While platforms like La Lupa bring strong feminist perspectives to the field, journalism remains a male-dominated profession, partly due to the severe risks associated with the work. The Ortega regime sees exiled media as a direct threat and has escalated its repression. The Foreign Agents Law forces media organizations receiving international funding to register with the state, effectively criminalizing them. The Cybercrime Law, which punishes so-called “fake news,” is used as a broad tool to silence critical voices. Journalists have been labeled extremists, stripped of their citizenships (by national ID confiscation or refusal to renew it from abroad), and had their offices and equipment confiscated. Despite these dangers, some reporters continue to operate within Nicaragua, working discreetly under pseudonyms or contributing anonymously to exiled outlets. For many media in exile, their connections to the local correspondents, who have also exiled, have been replaced by freelance reporters and commentators, who agree to be interviewed online. This underground network ensures the production of investigative materials and outreach of independent news to the public even under heavy suppression. The survival of exiled Nicaraguan media has relied heavily on international partnerships and foreign funding, which has negatively impacted the financial resilience of many exiled media as Ortega’s regime stepped up the repression and forced journalists in exile. The recent decision of the U.S. government to pause aid from USAID, will likely have a negative impact, further jeopardizing the already fragile state of independent journalism. Yet, despite relentless repression and financial uncertainty, Nicaragua’s exiled journalists persist, refusing to let state propaganda be the sole voice shaping the country’s media coverage.

“This double-sided criminalization of both freedom of the press and freedom of expression with the purpose of silencing journalists, news sources, and freedom of opinion, represents the latest stage in a long process of demolishing the rule of law in Nicaragua.” 

Carlos F. Chamorro, Nicaraguan exiled journalist and director of Confidencial

“By passing the international cooperation of USAID, many media have practically entered into crisis and several have expressed that they are on the verge of closure.”

Julio López, journalist of Onda Local

FIGURES & TRENDS

MEDIA PROFILES

Nicaraguan independent media in exile operate on both national and regional levels. Out of the 26 assessed outlets, 17 focus on national coverage, while 9 primarily cover regional issues. Most media were established before the significant repression against journalists, but there has been a notable rise in new outlets since 2018, coinciding with the increasing political crackdowns in Nicaragua. In 2019 alone, four new outlets were launched, followed by an additional five in subsequent years.

Spanish is the dominant language used by all 26 independent media outlets, but some also publish content in English (5 outlets). This suggests that a portion of the sector aims to engage an international audience.

FIGURES & TRENDS

REACH & DISTRIBUTION

Nicaraguan independent media in exile continue to garner a substantial audience despite the country’s repressive measures. All 26 outlets operate their own websites, collectively reaching 1.58 million unique visitors. Moreover, most outlets actively leverage social media platforms.

Facebook remains the most prominent platform, boasting a combined audience of 5.69 million followers, reflecting its longstanding popularity in the region. YouTube also shows strong engagement, with 1.75 million subscribers. While Telegram offers privacy advantages, only seven outlets maintain channels there, garnering a total audience of just 20,000 subscribers. Conversely, TikTok is gaining traction among independent media, with 13 outlets utilizing the platform and a combined 1.15 million followers.

Content distribution strategies are heavily influenced by the level of threats and repressive measures within Nicaragua. Many users deliberately refrain from leaving any evidence of their engagement with independent media on social platforms, which impacts visible engagement metrics.

Nicaraguan independent media in exile prioritizes thematic coverage, with news dominating the agenda for 17 out of 26 outlets. Beyond breaking stories, a significant number of media outlets (8 each) focus on human rights and politics, reflecting the sector’s deep engagement with pressing national and social issues. Business reporting also holds a notable presence, covered by 7 outlets. While topics like feminism, ecology, culture, and entertainment are explored by fewer media, they still contribute to the diversity of the landscape.

In terms of format, audio journalism leads the way, with 13 outlets leveraging podcasts and radio-style reporting to reach their audiences. Investigative journalism is another strong pillar, with 12 outlets committed to in-depth reporting and exposing hidden truths. Reports, online broadcasting, and interviews further shape the media environment, offering a mix of storytelling styles that engage different segments of the audience.

FIGURES & TRENDS

COMMUNITY

Organizations supporting Nicaraguan media in exile, such as PCIN and La Sala, focus on protecting journalists, documenting press freedom violations, and strengthening independent media through training and advocacy, ensuring the continuation of critical reporting despite state repression.

Nicaragua:

Regional, Latin America:

 

“The economic cost of continuing to do journalism from exile is multiplied by three.”

Néstor Arce, general director at Divergentes

“Publishing investigations, even in small quantities, is an expression of freedom. Imagine a destroyed city with only one building intact: that’s what continuing reporting in Nicaragua feels like.”

Octavio Enriquez, editor and investigative reporter in exile

EXPERT COMMENT

PERSPECTIVES & PREDICTIONS

The evolution of Nicaraguan media in exile follows a predictable pattern observed in numerous authoritarian regimes: the forced transition from traditional formats like television, radio and print to fully digital platforms. In some cases, censorship and the closure of independent media outlets have left online operations from exile as the only viable option. As independent media has been criminalized, websites and social media platforms have emerged as the primary channels for disseminating news from abroad.

Engaging with audiences abroad presents a significant challenge. Without a physical presence within the country, reporting requires the establishment of networks of displaced sources, secure digital communication protocols, and remote collaboration. All Nicaraguan independent journalists and activists have also been forced into exile, endangering the persistence of information flows despite government crackdowns. Investigative journalism faces difficulties in the absence of a direct on-the-ground presence, potentially reducing the depth of reporting in certain instances. However, the independent media from exile is defeating censorship and continues to be the main source of credible information.

Financial sustainability remains a major concern. Most exiled media rely on international funding, primarily from the United States and European donors. This reliance on grants makes Nicaraguan outlets vulnerable to fluctuations in donor priorities, which could lead to their closure. While alternative revenue streams, such as donations from the audience, revenue monetization, and advertising exist, their scale remains limited. The persistent challenge of achieving long-term financial independence continues to be a significant obstacle to exiled journalism.

Significant changes in content and format have been required due to the decline of traditional broadcasting. Digital storytelling, video journalism, and social media distribution have become more prominent, leading to a shift in audience demographics. Internet dependency has made urban and younger audiences the primary consumers of content. More than 55 % of the audience of the major Nicaraguan media outlets in exile is based in Nicaragua. Additionally, another portion of the audience consists of nationals living abroad, particularly in the United States, Costa Rica, México and Spain.

Government efforts to restrict independent journalism are expected to become more intense. New legislation is being introduced to limit access to exiled media websites, using tactics similar to those employed in totalitarian regimes. To adapt to these restrictions, it is crucial to explore alternative hosting solutions such as mirror websites , and implement strategies successfully developed in other restricted environments.

The future of exiled media depends on resilience, adaptability, and external support. Sustainability, digital security, and audience retention will remain key concerns as the media landscape evolves. Strengthening financial autonomy and developing alternative funding models will be pivotal in ensuring that independent journalism continues to be a vital source of information despite escalating repression.

Where the rule of law has collapsed, and where civil society is also under siege or on the verge of extinction, the only defense of the independent press lies in its own credibility. 
The challenges to continue doing journalism in exile are monumental. The most urgent is to provide security to journalists and collaborators, who are at risk, and to the news sources to communicate through secure channels. The most complex is to achieve financial sustainability of the newsrooms in exile.

Indeed, under the police state of authoritarian regimes, the press in exile is now a permanent condition. The onslaught of dictatorships against the press also poses a challenge to the international community: it is imperative to preserve the last reserve of all freedoms.

By Carlos Fernando Chamorro, Nicaraguan exiled journalist and director of Confidencial

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