JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

In „Navigating Digital Sovereignty: A Comparative Analysis of Internet Regulation in Russia and China,“ the researchers delve into the intricate web of policies and technologies that define how two global powers control and manage their digital landscapes. This exploration sheds light on the Sovereign Internet Law of Russia and the Great Firewall of China, two landmark strategies aimed at asserting digital sovereignty.

The role of journalism in authoritarian and conflict-affected regions remains as crucial as it has ever been. While technological advances provide new opportunities for newsgathering, there are still plenty of pitfalls for those who are trying to convey the truth.

Women Press Freedom identifies transnational repression as a significant threat to journalists who have fled authoritarian regimes, highlighting the increased use of tactics like surveillance, harassment, and violence to silence dissent beyond national borders. According to the report, 50% of exiled women journalists were targeted through transnational repression reside in the EU.

This report covers the period from 2021 to 2023, during which almost 70% of all attacks on media workers in Russia have been recorded since monitoring began in 2017. The attacks of the Russian authorities on journalists and bloggers over the past three years have taken on an unprecedented scale.

Threats, repression, conflict, and unrest: across the world, these and other factors are pushing journalists into exile in record numbers. In a striking development, exiled or soon-to-be exiled journalists now make up more than half of the people CPJ assists. While exile is a global issue, three countries — Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan — stand out as places from which journalists flee only to face further insecurity. Below, find case studies on each country.

A new report just published from the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) shows that most “OECD DAC members are aware of the importance of the integrity of information environments to achieve their development and foreign policy objectives, and of the central role played by public interest media”. But even as autocratisation has risen, disinformation has surged and the financial threats confronting independent media have become existential, they have with just a few exceptions proved unable to increase their support for the sector.

The survival of exiled media relies on the survival of media professionals, emphasizing the importance of protecting journalists’ rights to practice their profession securely. A research report by the Exile Hub now sheds light on the critical situation of exiled women journalists from Myanmar.

How can the media development community support exiled media outlets to survive and continue their work? By asking this question, this report aims to contribute to a shared understanding of the issues exiled media outlets face, but also highlight strategies they are deploying to overcome challenges.

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur (Irene Khan) on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression focuses on journalists in exile who face a variety of physical, digital and legal threats. She analyses the responses of States and companies to these threats and challenges.

Online abuse stifles freedom of expression, undermines equity and inclusion, and threatens livelihoods. In the United States and around the world, it has become a major occupational hazard, affecting everyone from scientists and academics to election officials and journalists.

The proportion of people avoiding news content is alarmingly high. That has implications for news organizations seeking to grow, engage, and inform audiences. That, in turn, limits the ability of those titles to hold power to account.

The newly published “Press Freedom in Europe: Time to turn the Tide” report highlights the persistent use of spyware technology to surveil media actors, jeopardising both media freedom and the digital security of journalists.

More than 20 percent of the world’s national governments have reached beyond their borders since 2014 to forcibly silence exiled political activists, journalists, former regime insiders, and members of ethnic or religious minorities.

In 2024, AI’s disruption intensifies globally. As content creation and distribution undergo transformation while more than 40 critical elections are due in 2024 and wars continue to rage in Europe and the Middle East, journalists must reassess their role.

The CPJ’s 2023 prison census highlights China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, Vietnam, Iran and Israel as leading jailers, with 320 journalists globally. This report exposes harsh realities, emphasizing the urgent need for global attention to protect press freedom.

Highlighting potential hazards, the Justice for Journalists Foundation (JFJ) sheds light on the obstacles faced by independent media outlets and workers exiled by non-democratic regimes.

The Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Democracy (FLED) reports an alarming climate for press freedom in Nicaragua. The report reveals an increase in persecution, exile, and banishment.