JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yablokov and Gatov (2025) explore the challenges faced by Russian journalism in exile in their study, published in Journalism Studies. Based on over 50 interviews with exiled journalists, the study reveals how funding issues, tech reliance, and audience access reflect broader global challenges for exiled media.

In Haiti, journalism is a high-risk profession. Many Haitian journalists have chosen exile in the face of the social, political, economic and security crisis that affects their country. Three journalists who left Haiti to save their lives  explained to LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) what it means to be a Haitian journalist in exile.

Eleven years since she was forced to flee the country, BBC Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab returns to Syria to be one of the first journalists for a western news network broadcasting from Damascus after the fall of the Assad regime.

Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, Afghanistan’s media landscape has undergone drastic changes, marked by severe restrictions on press freedom. Journalists face constant threats, censorship, and violence, especially when covering topics like women’s rights, human rights, and the actions of the Afghan government.

Lina Chawaf, founder of Radio Rozana, reflects on Syria’s uncertain future after Assad’s fall. While celebrating his ousting, she voices concerns about the new Islamist regime’s media stance. Her team continues reporting despite risks, navigating a volatile landscape for independent journalism.

Reyhana Masters and Laura Vidal examine how this global scourge is impacting the African and Latin America/Caribbean regions, the specific threat landscape for women journalists, and how those forced to flee can be better supported.

The Media & Journalism Research Center has published a study on Media Regulation, Government and Policy in Russia. It explains the core principles of media regulation in Russia and the various forms of censorship that the Russian political system has introduced and refined over the past decades, profiles several key influencers in the Russian media policy and provides context on the country’s media policy.

Research by the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) identified four key elements that lead to media capture as part of a matrix designed to study the phenomenon. These elements include control of media regulation, control of public media, use of state funds as a means of media control, and acquisition of private media outlets by businesses linked to the government.

“Masters of Manipulation” is an in-depth analysis of the complex strategies used by authoritarian governments to control the media and public perception. This publication brings together the expertise of leading academics and journalists from both countries, Russia and Turkey.

The couple Nasimeh and Amir have apparently fled from the Iranian secret service and built a new life for themselves in Belgium. They campaign against the regime in their home country and go on demonstrations. But in 2018, it emerges that their life in exile is a lie.

In “Navigating Digital Sovereignty: A Comparative Analysis of Internet Regulation in Russia and China,” the researchers delve into the intricate web of policies and technologies that define how two global powers control and manage their digital landscapes. This exploration sheds light on the Sovereign Internet Law of Russia and the Great Firewall of China, two landmark strategies aimed at asserting digital sovereignty.

The investigative beat has never been an easy one in Latin America. From reporting under authoritarian regimes to confronting significant security risks in a region that faces the added challenge of impunity, and from the difficulties of reporting amidst persistent financial struggles to handling the backlash that comes with exposing acts of corruption — the circumstances facing reporters have long been challenging.

Thousands of journalists around the world have had to seek exile in other countries in recent years amidst rising political repression, an independent United Nations investigator, Irene Khan, told the global body’s General Assembly in a report last week. Ms Khan’s findings shine a worrying light on the state of the world that all countries, especially democracies, need to reflect on and address.