JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

For the first time in the history of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, over half of the world’s countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories for press freedom. In 25 years, the average score of all 180 countries and territories surveyed in the Index has never been so low.

Founded in 2016 by young civil society members in Azerbaijan, Abzas Media was created to report on issues that are often ignored or suppressed in state-controlled media, including corruption, misuse of public resources, and human rights violations. Independent journalism in the country has been put under severe pressure, yet Abzas Media has continued reporting from exile, driven by the belief that independent journalism is as essential as ever.

Foreign intelligence agencies are using spyware in Germany to target primarily activists and journalists critical of authoritarian governments, but increasingly also members of parliament like Daniel Freund. Beyond infringing on the individual fundamental rights of affected individuals, they thereby also threaten civil society, freedom of the press, and democracy.

The PEN International Case List’s primary role is to inform its membership and others engaged in advocacy for free expression and serves to enable PEN Centres to identify where their focus could be. It is an indication of where the problems lie in any given year, enabling reflection on patterns and trends that can serve to inform future actions.

Exiled journalist Rana Rahimpour writes on contacting her parents in Iran during the war. She argues that for many Iranians, this war has not brought clarity but deepened uncertainty, especially about what any postwar settlement might look like. While some once believed that external pressure might weaken the regime, something Trump had promised, there is now a growing fear that the opposite could happen.

In this article, some of the hundreds of journalists and defenders of human and land rights have told Open Democracy how their lives have changed since the state of emergency was introduced. Some remain in El Salvador, defiant in their resistance despite fearing for their and their families’ lives amid state-led persecution.

Last year, governments all over the world assassinated, assaulted, kidnapped, threatened, and harassed critics beyond their borders. Freedom House recorded 126 new incidents of physical, direct transnational repression during the year, bringing the total number of cases in our database, which spans 2014 to 2025, to 1,375.

This article explains how international journalism festivals have become important spaces for exiled journalists to connect, collaborate, and continue their work despite repression in their home countries. It argues that exile journalism is growing due to increasing threats to press freedom, while also creating new opportunities for global reach and cross-border reporting.

This paper draws on 68 interviews and a global survey of 177 media outlets and media support organizations to chart the financial, sectoral, and political impacts of terminating most U.S. support for independent media. We find the following: The sudden, ill-planned termination of U.S. governmental support caused harm and waste.

What does it take to address the funding needs of public interest media with locally anchored solutions? Public interest media remains an essential pillar of democratic societies. Ensuring its future will require funding systems that are more diverse, more resilient, and more locally rooted than before. This report provides valuable insights into what it takes to begin building those systems.

Cyber censorship is quickly becoming a  weapon of choice for Turkish authorities looking to silence journalists in exile. At least five reporters have been targeted online, notably by having their social media accounts censored in Türkiye. Four of them are facing potential prison sentences as they are unjustly prosecuted — some of these lawsuits stretching over a decade.

This portrait is about the media platform Amal, which is produced by refugee and exiled journalists in Germany and provides news in languages like Arabic, Persian, and Ukrainian. It shows how these journalists, often unable to work in traditional media due to language barriers, find new opportunities to continue their profession and serve migrant communities.

The Fix analysed eight autocracies with limited internet freedoms and extensive internet shutdowns across the world, which are also among the largest producers of exiled media we regularly monitor with JXF, to understand the varieties of digital censorship through the Internet shutdowns.

This research examines the impact of Trumps reelection and the later U.S. aid cuts on Independent Media. The authors also look at how it devastated exiled media from Belarus, Myanmar, Nicaragua & El Salvador – among the hardest hit. Lost relocation support, diplomatic protection & up to 40% of revenue. Other donors haven’t filled the gap.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) sheds light on the precarious conditions facing journalists in the African Great Lakes region. The new report details threats from armed groups, state repression, legal harassment and displacement, showing how many reporters are pushed into exile or forced to work underground. It highlights risks to press freedom and the resilience of independent media.

Media makers forced into exile share candid insights on continuing independent work from abroad in this ASC MediaRisk panel discussion. Contributors reflect on safety challenges, digital threats, audience engagement and sustaining journalistic identity while displaced. Their perspectives highlight resilience and the complex realities of reporting beyond borders.

Cuban journalist Ana Rodríguez dismantles official statistics and state narratives from exile, showing how data is manipulated to shape public perception in Cuba. From debates on inflation to poverty figures, she challenges government claims using independent sources, illustrating how exiled media can counter misinformation and offer factual perspectives to audiences inside and outside Cuba.

Paraguayan journalist Jazmín Acuña, co-founder of El Surtidor, reflects on building impactful journalism in challenging environments. She discusses how independent media navigate political pressure, engage audiences and measure real-world impact. Her insights highlight how journalists across Latin America adapt their work under constraints that often push reporters toward exile or cross-border collaboration.