JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

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.

Since March 2022, The Moscow Times has had to operate in exile from Amsterdam. Like dozens of other exile media outlets, it endures impossible conditions and high security risks to be a beacon of hope. A visit to the newsroom.

How are exiled and hybrid outlets building resilient digitally-enabled outlets? How can these networks be more active in shaping the norms and policies that will shape the digital environment they increasingly depend upon? This lightening-talk panel presents results from CIMA research and a side-line discussion hosted at the ARIJ forum.

For more than a quarter century, elPeriódico was Guatemala’s boldest daily newspaper. Then, citing persecution and political and economic pressures, in May 2023, the newspaper announced it was shutting its doors. Although the closure of elPeriódico is final, the outlet’s contributions to history are now once again accessible.

Ken Bensinger and Benjamin Mullin report for The New York Times on how exiled investigative journalists worldwide are struggling after a sudden cut in U.S. government funding, causing financial instability and uncertainty for many independent newsrooms.

Silvia Higuera discusses the uncertainty faced by Latin American journalists in the US due to tightening immigration policies. She highlights the impact of the Trump administration’s actions, including the elimination of programs like Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Kate Lamb and Rebecca Ratcliffe describe the challenges faced by Myanmar journalists in Mae Sot. Myanmar journalists in exile explain how Trump’s USAid spending freeze has impacted independent media funding.

After the war in Ukraine began, several journalists from Novaya Gazeta left the country and started the media outlet in exile, Novaya Gazeta Europe. Ekaterina Glikman, deputy editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, talks about the challenges of working as a journalist in exile in Switzerland, and how the new media outlet covers events in Ukraine and Russia.

The displacement of millions of Ukrainians due to Russia’s invasion is a defining challenge for Ukraine’s identity, economy, and global presence. The Wilson Center explores the war’s impact on Ukraine’s media and exiled communities, highlighting the resilience of independent journalism.

Ten years ago, Borhan Akid had to flee from Syria—head over heels, away from his family, away from Damascus. He traveled through Greece to Germany, where he ended up in Cologne, learned German, and became a journalist at WDR. Now—after the fall of dictator Assad—he feels drawn back. How does it feel to be in his old homeland?

After the fall of the Assad regime, three Syrian journalists in exile speak with iMEdD about the challenges and opportunities of independent journalism in Syria, navigating an unstable and uncharted media landscape. They interview Lina Chawaf, CEO of Radio Rozana; Mohammed Bassiki, exiled journalist and SIRAJ co-founder; and Zaina Erhaim, who trains women journalists in the Middle East.

Kirill Rogov examines the aftermath of Alexei Navalny’s murder and its profound impact on the Russian opposition, highlighting the significant surge in viewership of independent media in exile. Despite the dismantling of opposition structures inside Russia, Rogov argues that exiled activists and journalists have struggled to form cohesive political networks.

Lilia Yapparova explores the crisis within Russia’s exiled opposition three years into the war, as internal divisions and the death of Alexey Navalny leave many anti-war Russians feeling disillusioned and unrepresented. She examines the movement’s fragmentation, the challenges faced by its leaders in exile, and the uncertain future of Russia’s pro-democracy forces.

Global Voices interviewed over email Kay, Exile Hub’s communications officer, who was among those who attended the 2024 Global Voices citizen media summit in Nepal. She summed up what Exile Hub is doing to help empower critical voices in Myanmar.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, CPJ has tracked 247 journalists branded as foreign agents and 6 exiled journalists sentenced in absentia. With a new law set to take effect in 2025, exiled media faces even tighter controls, forcing them to funnel earnings into special accounts as authorities continue their crackdown.

Independent media in Russia and Ukraine, critical for alternative reporting, have lost funding due to a USAID freeze. Many exiled Russian outlets, reliant on U.S. grants to reach Russian audiences with war and political coverage, now face a challenging future with the loss of critical financial support.

Sofia Gavrilova explores the complex challenges Russian emigrants face since 2022, navigating tensions with host societies, fellow exiles, and their homeland. She argues that for a democratic Russia’s future, Russian exiles must move beyond victimhood, actively engage with local communities, and build bridges through concrete actions and inclusive dialogue.