JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

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.

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 journalism landscape in Afghanistan has undergone a significant and distressing transformation following the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021.

The death of Aleksei A. Navalny in a Russian prison has been a blow to an opposition movement in which he was the figurehead. But it has also raised hopes of a united front against President Vladimir V. Putin.

In Iran, the space for independent journalism has become increasingly constrained. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), only North Korea, China and Vietnam currently trail Iran for their measures of press freedom.

After three years of working in exile, the Belarusian media has entered another turbulent period. Not all media companies are likely to survive this phase unscathed. Are there solutions?

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 exiled Nicaraguan media outlet Confidencial cofounded the Network of Exiled Media Organizations (NEMO). The members share best practices on how to produce journalism in circumstances where they are cut off from their sources and audience, and offer one another technical advice and moral support.

Independent Afghan newspaper Etilaatroz faces challenges after the Taliban’s return in 2021. Journalists emphasize the importance of international support for press freedom, legal aid, and training.

OWEP editor-in-chief Gemma Pörzgen travelled to Riga, which has become the most important refuge, as Russian journalists and editorial teams increasingly choose exile for independent reporting.

Ethiopian journalists, facing deteriorating press freedom and arrests, are increasingly seeking asylum abroad. The government’s crackdown has created a challenging environment.

Amid Russia’s suppression, exiled independent journalists turn to NGOs for financial support. Facing challenges in adapting to a new sector, media-NGOs navigate fundraising and accountability.

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.

‘The million-dollar reporter’: Israeli cyber-arms company’s software was used to spy on Galina Timchenko, revealing the first confirmed case of a Pegasus attack against a Russian journalist.

This report highlights the Taliban’s controlled media strategy, allowing room for resilience. Despite ongoing repression, media in exile is gaining strength, effectively countering disinformation.

Amid intensified pressure on Kremlin-critical media in Russia and Belarus, hundreds of journalists seek refuge abroad, fostering free journalism in the face of increased repression.