JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Ahmet Dönmez, a Turkish journalist living in exile in Sweden, said in an interview with the Journalisten news website that he left the country for the United States some two years after surviving a brutal attack in Stockholm. Dönmez had narrowly escaped death after being severely beaten in a suburb of Stockholm in March 2022.

Yavuz Baydar is an award-winning journalist, editor and analyst in Turkish and international media. Since the failed Turkish coup d’etat in 2016 Yavuz Baydar has had to live and work in exile. In conversation with Diana Huth, Yavuz Baydar analyzes the geopolitical implications of the 2024 elections and calls for greater support for exile journalism.

Trouble with the Truth is the podcast produced by Lana Estemirova in partnership with the Justice for Journalists Foundation. Lana talks to journalists from around the world who face persecution just for doing their job and lets her audience hear voices that usually remain hidden.

Following last year’s joint investigation into the use of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware against Galina Timchenko, co-founder, CEO, and publisher of Meduza, Access Now, the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto (“the Citizen Lab”), and independent digital security expert Nikolai Kvantiliani have uncovered how at least seven more Russian, Belarusian, Latvian, and Israeli journalists and activists have been targeted with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware within the EU.

At least seven journalists and activists who have been vocal critics of the Kremlin and its allies have been targeted inside the EU by a state using Pegasus, the hacking spyware made by Israel’s NSO Group, according to a new report by security researchers.

“Journalism done from exile remains the last reserve of all our freedoms.” Carlos Fernando Chamorro received the Golden Pen of Freedom during the 75th WAN-IFRA World News Media Congress – read his acceptance speech.

Russian journalist Angelina Davydova has left her home country and is now analyzing the situation in Russia from Berlin. Exiled journalism has become an important factor in the global media landscape, she says.

Ahead of World Press Freedom Day on Friday 3 May, the BBC is announcing for the first time that over 300 World Service journalists – around 15% – are working in exile. Recent crackdowns on press freedom in Russia, Afghanistan and Ethiopia have pushed more BBC teams to relocate for their own safety, many leaving family and friends behind.

Pouria Zeraati, journalist and reporter for Iran International, was stabbed outside his London home. A Guardian report says that the attack was believed to be another example of Iran hiring proxies to assault its critics in the west.

Two prominent Chinese bloggers in exile said police were investigating their millions of followers on international social media platforms, in an escalation of Beijing’s attempts to clamp down on critical speech even outside of the country’s borders.

From spying through diplomatic missions and pro-government diaspora organizations to denial of consular services and outright intimidation and illegal renditions, the Turkish government has been using a wide range of tactics against its critics overseas.

Tatyana Margolin, co-founder of STROIKA, emphasizes the urgent need for redefining ‚home‘ and the necessity of crafting new concepts of belonging in an era marked by transnational repression and forced migration. A call to reimagine ‚home‘ beyond geographical confines.

As American journalism focuses on reviving local news, building connected ecosystems, and targeting infusions of philanthropic support, one of the biggest growth areas for journalism in the coming year is one that none of us would wish for — the journalism of the displaced.

‘Pluralism is nearly gone’: The latest elections underscore a juncture in the existence of independent journalism in Turkey, writes Yavuz Baydar. He emphasizes the need for a revival of thinking.

For the first time, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) unveiled a map depicting the migration patterns of journalists compelled to seek safety abroad and the nations hosting exiled media.

Many refugee journalists from Russia and Belarus, chroniclers of current events, would like to work from Berlin. But Germany makes it difficult for them, according to the authors.