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.

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.

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 exile, once-profitable independent Russian media outlets have been severed from what had been their main base of subscribers and advertisers, who are forbidden from supporting them. Their business models are no longer viable.

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.

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.

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

‘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.

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.

Journalist Marina Sedneva highlights the daily fear Russian opposition leaders, civil rights activists, and independent journalists face under the threat of police searches and arrests.

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.