JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

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.

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.

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.

From Vladimir Putin in Russia to the theocrats in Iran, authoritarian leaders are increasingly shutting down independent media and locking up reporters, with hundreds of journalists now in jail around the globe.

Journalism has never been a safe profession, but the last couple of years have felt particularly grim. For vox.com Caroline Houck took a closer look on the dangers faced by journalists globally and reveals a disturbing trend of attacks on journalism worldwide.

The precarious situation of journalists forced to flee Guatemala, despite recent political changes, exposes the broader struggle for press freedom in Latin America, revealing systemic issues that continue to undermine democratic principles and silence critical voices.

At least 460 journalists left their home countries in 2023. Exiled reporters from Afghanistan, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Ukraine share their challenges in this longread on exiled journalism, Laura Dulce Romero wrote for Reuters Institute. Solutions included!

A Turkish prosecutor has demanded up to 10 and a half years in prison for Hayko Bağdat, a Turkish-Armenian journalist based in Germany, on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Three years into Myanmar’s military rule, the country’s journalists are rebuilding newsrooms in exile and finding ways to keep sources safe, while accessing news about the conflict between the junta and the resistance movement.

Turkey ranks 165th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. Anyone who criticizes President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his government or people close to him gets into trouble.

Independent media websites blocked by the authorities in Russia and Belarus say they are disadvantaged by the Google search engine. Journalists are calling for a new algorithm.

In exile due to Ortega’s authoritarian rule, Nicaraguan journalists describe why they persist in their work, and how they are navigating the challenges of being unable to return home.

Authoritarianism forces journalists into exile; hybrid media, led by exiled and local reporters, faces challenges like safety risks, funding, and reaching audiences back home.

In December 2022 exiled Turkish journalist Can Dündar revealed that he had been added to the so-called terrorist “gray list”, a database published by the Turkish Interior Ministry, that identifies alleged terrorists and offers rewards for their capture. CPJ has identified at least 14 other members of the press included on the Interior Ministry’s gray list.

Closed doors in German media, family at risk: Press freedom is increasingly restricted in Afghanistan, and also journalists in Belarus find freedom to report only from abroad.