JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Threats, repression, conflict, and unrest: across the world, these and other factors are pushing journalists into exile in record numbers. In a striking development, exiled or soon-to-be exiled journalists now make up more than half of the people CPJ assists. While exile is a global issue, three countries — Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan — stand out as places from which journalists flee only to face further insecurity. Below, find case studies on each country.

The 2024 Digital News Report Reuters Institute reveals new findings about the consumption of online news globally. It is based on a YouGov survey of more than 95,000 people in 47 countries representing half of the world’s population. The report looks at the growing importance of platforms in news consumption and production, including more visual and video-led social media such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

The survival of exiled media relies on the survival of media professionals, emphasizing the importance of protecting journalists’ rights to practice their profession securely. A research report by the Exile Hub now sheds light on the critical situation of exiled women journalists from Myanmar.

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.

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur (Irene Khan) on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression focuses on journalists in exile who face a variety of physical, digital and legal threats. She analyses the responses of States and companies to these threats and challenges.

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 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.

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.

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.

The Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Democracy (FLED) reports an alarming climate for press freedom in Nicaragua. The report reveals an increase in persecution, exile, and banishment.

The academic project on media in exile aims to systematically collect and organize data to highlight their challenges, needs, and crucial role in defending liberal democracy globally.

A report by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation examines the demographic composition of Russian emigrants, their professional background, the countries they have chosen to move to and the political activities they pursue abroad.

Exploring the media industry’s response to the cost-of-living crisis, the war in Europe, and climate instability, the report emphasizes the vital role of accurate journalism in overcoming challenges.

Diving into the transformation and resilience of Ukrainian journalism, the study by the Media Development Foundation documents how newsrooms adapted to challenging crisis conditions.

Conducting an annual assessment of global freedom of information, GxR exposes a worldwide threat to freedom of expression, spotlighting the challenges encountered in safeguarding this right.