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Activist and Blogger Lu Yuyu On Escaping China

  • The Guardian
  • Amy Hawkins

Chinese dissident Lu Yuyu’s perilous escape from China reveals the high stakes of documenting unrest under an authoritarian regime. Once jailed for exposing protests, Lu now rebuilds his life in Canada while navigating China’s growing digital censorship.

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Afghanistan’s Media Landscape

  • Modern Diplomacy
  • Saima Afzal

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.

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Syrian Media After Assad

  • NiemanReports
  • Lina Chawaf

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.

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Exiled Expression: Root Causes and Impacts

  • ifex
  • Laura Vidal, Reyhana Masters

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.

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Adapting to Survive: How Exiled Media Lead Innovation

  • JX Fund

With the increasing monopolization of information infrastructures on one side and targeted disinformation campaigns and propaganda by authoritarian regimes on the other, facts have become lonely things. However, for many exiled media outlets, this isn’t breaking news but rather a reality they have already adapted to. The constant need to innovate in response to new circumstances has given rise to unconventional business models.

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A North Korean Voice That Kim Jong-un Would Like to Silence

  • The New York Times
  • Choe Sang-Hun

Defying cancer and constant threats, North Korean defector Kim Seongmin broadcasts uncensored news into North Korea, challenging Pyongyang’s grip on information. Through Free North Korea Radio, he inspires hope among those isolated by censorship—even as Kim Jong-un tightens his authoritarian rule.

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The Mechanics of Media Policy Creation in Russia

  • Media & Journalism Research Center
  • Leonardo Ingannamorte

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.

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“Journalists Will Continue Their Work Despite Repression”

  • Confidecial / Havana Times
  • Carlos F. Chamorro

After 813 days in solitary confinement, Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora returns home, committed to exposing corruption despite heavy repression. In this interview, Zamora discusses the ongoing threats to press freedom under Guatemala’s authoritarian regime and his determination to continue the fight.

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Where Independent Reporting Ends

  • WittenLab Magazine
  • Marius Dragomir

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.

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Exiled Journalist Communities in Germany

  • Körber Stiftung

As global crises, authoritarianism, and threats to press freedom escalate, more journalists are forced to flee their home countries, making independent journalism one of the most dangerous professions today. The recently published study by Körber Stiftung sheds light on the growing scale and challenges of exiled journalism in Germany.

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Chinese Journalist Dai Qing’s Quiet Life in Exile

  • Radio Free Asia

Veteran Chinese journalist Dai Qing, 83, now lives in exile in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she is working on her forthcoming book “Notes on History”. A prominent critic of the Three Gorges Dam project and a supporter of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Dai now enjoys a quiet life among a community of exiled Chinese intellectuals, reflecting on her past activism while staying informed about China’s current political climate.

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Navigating Digital Sovereignty

  • ResearchGate
  • Douglas C. Youvan

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.

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Journalists In Exile Expose Government Brutality

  • Outlook
  • Shweta Desai

Netra News, an independent news outlet in exile, is known for its rare feat in investigative reportage exposing corruption in the Bangladesh government and abuse of security agencies. Outlook spoke to its founder Tasneem Khalil on running an online news platform from Sweden, tracking political instability and protests in Bangladesh.

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Inside the Virginia Newsroom of Amu TV

  • The Atlantic
  • Cora Engelbrecht

How he exiled Afghans of Amu TV are holding the Taliban to account — from 7,000 miles away. Even though it operates abroad—or perhaps because it operates abroad—Amu TV is one of the most effective chroniclers of life under Taliban rule. The Atlantic reporter Cora Engelbrecht paid a visit to their newsroom.

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Georgia: A Crisis Point For Press Freedom

  • European Centre for Press and Media Freedom

In Spring 2024, a delegation from the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) conducted a press freedom fact-finding mission to Tbilisi, Georgia as part of a project funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Today, ECPMF publishes a report detailing the findings of the mission, which paint a picture of independent media in the midst of an existential crisis.

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Study: Afghan Exiled Media Since The Taliban Takeover

  • JX Fund

The Taliban takeover in 2021 ended a period of media flourishing and improving freedom of expression in Afghanistan. The collapse of the Afghan government and the resurgence of authoritarian rule have created an environment of fear and uncertainty within the media community. Independent and diverse non-state media are in danger; many journalists have fled their homeland in search of safety and freedom.

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What’s Next for Investigative Journalism in Latin America

  • IJNet
  • Andrea Arzaba, Ana Beatriz Assam

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.