JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Iryna Khalip is a prominent Belarusian journalist who has spent her career exposing corruption and human rights abuses, often at great personal risk. Her investigative reporting on political and social issues in Belarus has made her a target of state persecution. Since going into exile in 2020, Khalip has continued her reporting for the Latvia-based Novaya Gazeta Europe.

Since 2018, the Nicaraguan government has shut down or confiscated over 60 media outlets, criminalised independent reporting and accused journalists of conspiracy or “spreading false information.” RSF met with exiled journalists in Costa Rica and calls on the international community to urgently strengthen support for exiled outlets and the journalists behind them.

Taha Siddiqui’s haunting, inspired graphic memoir The Dissident Club: The Chronicle of a Pakistani Journalist in Exile follows his early childhood in Saudi Arabia through his career as a dissident journalist and exile from his native Pakistan. Trevor Corkum interviewed him to understand why he chose to tell his life story in the form of a graphic memoir.

At the 18th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism, speakers highlighted how Nicaraguan journalists have endured nearly a decade of repression under President Daniel Ortega. In her coverage of the event, Silvia Higuera captures their ongoing struggle to report the truth.

Jon Allsop reports on the struggles of exiled Myanmar journalists, who, after the military junta’s crackdown, continue to report from abroad despite dwindling support. He details how recent US funding cuts have further strained these journalists and their outlets, making independent reporting even harder.

Claire Murphy reports on the plight of Russian journalist Lilia Yapparova, who fled to Latvia after the Kremlin’s crackdown on independent media. Yapparova, along with hundreds of other Russian journalists, has found refuge in Latvia, a country that offers crucial support through organizations like Media Hub Riga.

Cuts in funding from the US could have dramatic consequences for hundreds of Russian journalists in exile. It could also lead to far less independent and fact-based journalism about Russia and the war in Ukraine, argues Georgii Chentemirov, former head of the Union of Journalists in Karelia, in this podcast.

This briefing paper “Navigating Instability” outlines an initial framework for responding to the challenges faced by exiled media, based on over 20 years of IMS support. With input from exiled media leaders, IMS’ Exiled Media Working Group has identified five key phases of transition and evolution that media in exile experience.

Exiled Russian media site IStories has shared with GIJN how it built an AI-powered database of Russian military war dead and missing, and why it was worth creating. Katya Bonch-Osmolovskaya, editor of IStories’ data department, explains how the AI was trained, what kind of data Charon can collect, and why journalists should start learning to work with neural networks.

At a conference last week in Austin, Texas, exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Rubin told the audience how, in hindsight, there was not enough resistance when press rights began going away in his home country. “We did not resist for the small things,” Rubin said.

Matthew Leake speaks with two Syrian journalists about the country’s transition, exploring press freedom, funding challenges, the influence of news figures, and the media’s role during this pivotal time. Their insights shed light on the evolving landscape of journalism in Syria and the obstacles they face in this critical period.

Benjamin Quénelle dives into the world of Russian media in exile, where over 1,500 journalists are continuing their fight for press freedom and anti-Kremlin resistance. Despite facing immense challenges, these media outlets remain a vital source of independent information, even as global political shifts threaten their work.

Benjamin Quénelle reports about the efforts of Russian journalists in exile who are discreetly training young reporters still living under the country’s oppressive media landscape. Despite the risks, these aspiring journalists are determined to pursue fair and honest reporting, even as Russia ranks 162nd globally for press freedom.

In this article by Diana Shahbazyan, Belarusian journalists in exile share their struggles to continue their work amidst oppression, censorship, and financial uncertainty. With more than 30 journalists imprisoned and media outlets branded ‘extremist,’ these exiled professionals are determined to keep informing the world, even as they face increasing risks and challenges.

In this article, Veronica Snoj discusses the challenges Russian media face three years into the war, including financial sustainability, self-censorship, and news fatigue. Many independent outlets rely on unstable foreign grants, while others struggle with censorship laws. Audiences are growing weary, leading some outlets to shift focus toward lifestyle content to stay relevant.

Report for the World and Columbia University (SIPA) have launched The Path to Impact: Insights from Global Majority Newsrooms, an impact report highlighting the global impact of local journalism in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America.

This article discusses how Pakistani journalists exiled due to threats now influence the media landscape from abroad, leveraging digital platforms like YouTube to provide alternative perspectives and analysis. This “diaspora effect” offers more in-depth coverage of events like the Balochistan train hijacking, contrasting with the sanitized domestic media.

This article by The Economist highlights Putin’s efforts to suppress independent media while fighting in Ukraine, but despite heavy censorship, Russian journalists in exile continue to challenge his narrative. Platforms like YouTube and Telegram remain key tools for spreading anti-war content within Russia.