JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Nasir Andisha, Acting Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, said at the International Symposium on Freedom of Expression that the international community must continue supporting Afghan media and free expression and should not allow the Taliban to silence these freedoms. The symposium opened today (Friday, November 21) in Berlin.

The two-day “Exiled Media Forum 2025” concluded in Hamburg, Germany, reaffirming international support for independent media operating outside their home countries. The event convened journalists, media executives, and freedom-of-expression advocates from Afghanistan, Belarus, Sudan, and other nations confronting repressive regimes.

Amid rising global repression and shrinking donor support, understanding how exile media remain viable, independent, and impactful is increasingly urgent. The study identifies key factors that enable media organizations to adapt, survive, and continue serving their communities from abroad. It also offers practical recommendations for exile media, media development actors, donors, and policymakers.

A new cooperation agreement between Amu TV and Deutsche Welle was announced on October 1, 2025, to expand access to independent journalism for Afghan audiences inside the country and abroad. The partnership will allow Amu TV, an Afghan broadcaster in the diaspora, to rebroadcast DW’s flagship program Aashiti on its free-to-air satellite channel, while also sharing DW’s news, analysis, and multimedia content across its website and social media platforms.

This research explores the gender and ethnicity-based challenges faced by Kurdish female journalists, focusing on their professional experiences in Turkey and in exile.

Last summer, Russian authorities began throttling YouTube playback speeds, rendering the popular video platform practically unusable. This has pushed many Russians to change their media consumption habits. Meduza analyzes the current and potential consequences of the Kremlin’s ongoing campaign against YouTube.

In a report on audience strategies, Reuters Institute journalist fellow Maria Kiseleva examines which platforms Russian exiled media use to continue reaching audiences inside the country. The report, which focuses on platform shifts and monetization strategies, also draws on research by the JX Fund.

After seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban moved swiftly to impose a stifling control over Afghan society. The former constitution and legal framework were both suspended pending a “review” of their compatibility with sharia law. In their place, the Taliban have gradually installed a complex web of new laws and policies, many dictated directly by the group’s elusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzadah.

“This is evidence for the future. It’s critical to document these crimes now, even if justice is delayed,” says Maria Zholobova, a Russian journalist in exile and an ICFJ Jim Hoge Reporting Fellow, who investigated how the son of Ukraine’s ousted president allegedly profits from Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories.

Born from the University of Oregon’s international symposium on journalism-in-exile, this book gathers the reflections and accounts of journalists who have faced danger, persecution, and threats to their safety due to their commitment to journalistic integrity, while also highlighting the work of advocacy groups supporting press freedom in repressive environment.

If Trump shuts down RFE/RL, thousands of exiled journalists could lose their platform, and Russian-speaking audiences may lose a vital independent news source. RFE/RL’s reporting from hubs like Riga offers rare, high-risk journalism in local languages, countering Kremlin propaganda in ways few other outlets can.

A group of Afghan journalists in exile has officially launched “Future Afghanistan,” an online media platform aimed at providing independent reporting on the situation in Afghanistan. Founded and led by Shafi Karimi, the outlet seeks to deliver comprehensive multimedia content that adheres to journalistic integrity.

Alesya Sokolova on how the relatively low popularity of independent media may be influenced not only by censorship but also by the choice of topics and the tone of content. While censorship remains the biggest obstacle, audience fatigue with negativity and a narrow thematic focus may also push even opposition-minded readers away.

This paper by Diana Shahbazyan aims to provide a comprehensive needs analysis of exiled journalists from Belarus and Russia. The findings provide an understanding of the key issues affecting exiled journalists and media organizations, and outline both their immediate needs and primary action points.

This study investigates the experiences of 103 Russian journalists who left their country after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It examines their professional environment, values, and roles as they continue their work abroad, focusing on maintaining journalistic integrity while navigating new political and cultural challenges, and the intersection of journalism and activism.

This study explores the role of exiled Egyptian journalists in Türkiye, emphasizing their attempts to establish legitimacy and a professional identity that sets them apart from mainstream media. This analysis highlights the complexities of exiled journalism as it seeks to balance professional aspirations with the realities of political affiliations and conflicts.

This study explores the dual identity of exiled journalists as immigrants adapting to host countries while maintaining ties to their homeland. Based on interviews with Russian exiled journalists and 2023 fieldwork, it offers an approach to understanding exiled media as a mix of connections and disconnections between home and host spaces.