JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

The Taliban claim that there is freedom of the press in the country. Even Western Youtubers are allowed to come – if they report positively and adhere to strict conditions.

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.

The Etilaat Roz was once the most widely circulated newspaper in Kabul, but everything changed in August 2021 when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. In this unique video diary, journalist Abbas Rezaie follows the tenacious correspondents as they continue to report the news.

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.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is alarmed by a worrying increase in the restrictions imposed on journalists, with authoritarian directives on women journalists’ dress, restrictions on women’s access to the audiovisual media and a ban on filming or photographing Taliban officials.

Zahra Nader ist the founder and editor-in-chief of the Afghan Magazine Zan Times. For the Institute of War & Peace Reporting she reflects on her mission and shares what helps her to keep fighting for equality and justice in Afghanistan.

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.

Nadio Momand was a journalist and a law student in Afghanistan. But with the Taliban back in power, she has left her home and her dreams behind.

The newly published “Press Freedom in Europe: Time to turn the Tide” report highlights the persistent use of spyware technology to surveil media actors, jeopardising both media freedom and the digital security of journalists.

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.

More than 20 percent of the world’s national governments have reached beyond their borders since 2014 to forcibly silence exiled political activists, journalists, former regime insiders, and members of ethnic or religious minorities.

Former Afghan journalist Hedayatullah Zyarmal, who now lives in Bruchhausen-Vilsen, talks about his desire to continue his media work and the hurdles he has to overcome.

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 CPJ’s 2023 prison census highlights China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, Vietnam, Iran and Israel as leading jailers, with 320 journalists globally. This report exposes harsh realities, emphasizing the urgent need for global attention to protect press freedom.

Highlighting potential hazards, the Justice for Journalists Foundation (JFJ) sheds light on the obstacles faced by independent media outlets and workers exiled by non-democratic regimes.

Afghanistan’s once thriving media sector has been facing myriad challenges under Taliban rule. Despite all challenges, however, Afghan journalists continue to produce factual, objective news.

Resisting the Taliban’s efforts to make women in Afghanistan invisible, a group of female journalists establishes an online magazine. An interview with Zahra Nader, founder of ZanTimes.

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.