JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

In Nicaragua, journalism has been persecuted, censored, and criminalized by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo since 2018. By 2022, several journalists were in jail for practicing their profession, many of them had been assaulted by the Police and regime sympathizers, and three independent media outlets—La Prensa, CONFIDENCIAL, and 100% Noticias—had been closed and confiscated, and dozens of journalists had gone into exile to avoid prison.

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.

Lázaro Yuri Valle Roca, a Cuban independent journalist who had been imprisoned in Cuba since 2021 because of his reporting, was released Wednesday on the condition that he leave the island for exile in the United States.

From Russia to Sudan, rising authoritarianism and threats to press freedom are driving a growing number of journalists to flee their home countries and try to resume their work from abroad. Media organizations in democratic countries have a collective duty to support them.

A large-scale surveillance program covertly operated by the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s intelligence arm has been targeting critical and independent journalists living in exile in Europe, the United States and Canada, as revealed by confidential documents obtained by Nordic Monitor.

“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.

Thousands of journalists have fled their home countries in recent years to escape political repression, save their lives and escape conflict – but in exile they are often vulnerable to physical, digital and legal threats, a U.N. investigator said.

Since the 2021 military coup, Myanmar has become one of the worst countries globally in terms of the number of journalists jailed, with 206 reporters detained including 31 women over the past three years, according to a recent report by the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law (ICNL).

She has been actively developing grassroots journalism in a region where ethnic minorities have struggled to have their stories heard in the face of the dominant community’s influence. Now in exile, Nan Paw Gays commitment to advancing the voices of the ethnic minorities in Myanmar continues. In an interview with WAN-IFRA she shares thoughts and experiences of her journey in exile.

Uncovering a multimillion-dollar aid scandal in Venezuela took great personal and professional risks for Roberto Deniz, a reporter with investigative media outlet Armando Info. Their revelations made Deniz and his editors targets of the Maduro government and forced the journalist into exile in 2018. Despite everything, Deniz feels the risk was worth it.

Some 310 BBC World Service journalists, approximately 15% of the total, are currently in exile due to restrictions on press freedom and bullying by authorities. How are BBC World Service stories reaching audiences in authoritarian states and how do journalists report when exiled?

Press freedom faces growing threats globally. Despite efforts to highlight its importance, press freedom is declining globally. Below are ten figures from this year’s World Press Freedom Day, what they show, and, sometimes, what they don’t.

Decreasing press freedom sometimes forces journalists to flee their home countries to be able to report on them safely. But operating news outlets in exile is another beast on its own, and exiled journalists are met with financial, logistical, and editorial challenges at every step.

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.

Threats from the state have led many journalists across the world to flee their home countries to report from elsewhere. But for many the intimidation did not stop when they left.

In the central Sahel, journalists and reporters have seen their working conditions deteriorate ever since they were taken over by military juntas, international organisations have found.

Guatemala’s new government has made press freedom a priority. But journalists are skeptical. The “pact of the corrupt” still has too much influence. And those who report critically on it are therefore staying abroad for the time being.

The number of BBC World Service journalists working in exile is estimated to have nearly doubled, to 310, since 2020. The figures, released for the first time ahead of World Press Freedom Day, reflect press crackdowns in Russia, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia.