JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

JX Fund, with support of The Fix Research and Advisory, has just published the first major cross-country overview of what they call Exiled Independent Media, or EXIM. Across eight countries studied in depth, researchers identified at least 280 verified outlets, although the real number is almost certainly much higher.

Exiled independent media face growing pressure to survive financially and structurally in an increasingly unstable global news ecosystem. This essay revisits lessons from the 1970s media landscape to explore how journalism can adapt to fragmentation, platform dependency and shrinking resources, offering reflections on sustainability models for exile outlets today.

Five years into Myanmar’s civil war, the journalists covering it are running out of money. After the 2021 coup wiped out domestic revenue, exiled newsrooms in Thailand became dependent on foreign aid — now slashed. Today, founders drive taxis, reporters run food stalls, and a million views on Facebook earns less than $50. A crisis is quietly silencing independent coverage of one of Asia’s bloodiest conflicts.

Press freedom is under unprecedented global pressure — and journalists are responding by building networks across borders. At the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, the taz panterstiftung launched its new panternetwork, uniting 500 journalists worldwide. Collaboration, they agree, is no longer optional: it’s the future of independent journalism.

In the aftermath of Myanmar’s February 2021 military takeover, independent journalist Linn soon fell foul of the regime’s crackdown on free expression. Having overthrown the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, ending a decade of partial civilian rule, the junta – known as the Tatmadaw – quickly moved to clamp down on the media.

Turkey is slipping fast down the Reporters without Borders (RSF) ‘s World Press Freedom Index. The country is now ranked 159th out of 180. But while some journalists languish in prison, many more, have been forced to leave the country. Their destinations range from Greece and Switzerland to other European countries, as well as neighbouring regions such as Armenia and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

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.

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.

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.

GIJN’s Global Academy is a unique hub dedicated to connect, expand, and support the journalism community around the world through key training, networking, and knowledge-sharing opportunities, such as webinars or mentorship programs. The Academy helps journalists at every stage strengthen their investigative skills, connect with peers, and continue learning.

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.

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.

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.

This article examines the ideological dynamics of the initial phases of the Russo–Ukrainian war through a discourse analysis of two leading Russian media outlets in exile. With a point of departure in conflict transformation theory, the study focuses on mediated representations of the Self as a means of mitigating antagonistic conflict dynamics.

In 2025, Azerbaijani authorities imposed restrictions on international organizations and foreign media, suspending some UN-affiliated entities and revoking media accreditations. While framed as protecting national interests and sovereignty, observers argue these measures further undermine transparency and accountability.