JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Since Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023, over 400 journalists have fled, and at least ten exile media outlets have emerged, mainly in Egypt, to report on the overlooked crisis. These outlets offer crucial coverage of abuses against civilians, while Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounces the harassment they face in host countries.

Amid funding shortages, AI disruption, and rising threats to press freedom, Latin American journalists are launching innovative projects to rebuild trust and connect with audiences. At the ISOJ 2025 Colloquium, seven media outlets shared how they’re using collaboration and creative storytelling.

At this year’s International Journalism Festival, journalists from around the world gathered to discuss the future of journalism. The Reuters Institute has published key takeaways, offering insights into a range of pressing topics, including journalism in exile, local news, reader revenue, news avoidance, and the impact of AI.

In this article, Maxim Alyukov explores the persistent gap between what journalists deem newsworthy and what audiences actually care about. Drawing on global research and the challenges facing Russian independent media in exile, he argues that understanding public perceptions of relevance is essential to staying connected, credible, and impactful under repression.

Alesya Sokolova on how the relatively low popularity of independent media may be influenced not only by censorship but also by the choice of topics and the tone of content. While censorship remains the biggest obstacle, audience fatigue with negativity and a narrow thematic focus may also push even opposition-minded readers away.

This paper by Diana Shahbazyan aims to provide a comprehensive needs analysis of exiled journalists from Belarus and Russia. The findings provide an understanding of the key issues affecting exiled journalists and media organizations, and outline both their immediate needs and primary action points.

This briefing paper “Navigating Instability” outlines an initial framework for responding to the challenges faced by exiled media, based on over 20 years of IMS support. With input from exiled media leaders, IMS’ Exiled Media Working Group has identified five key phases of transition and evolution that media in exile experience.

This study investigates the experiences of 103 Russian journalists who left their country after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It examines their professional environment, values, and roles as they continue their work abroad, focusing on maintaining journalistic integrity while navigating new political and cultural challenges, and the intersection of journalism and activism.

The founders of the media outlet Divergentes share their struggles in continuing independent journalism from exile. Despite facing immense financial and emotional challenges, they remain committed to exposing the authoritarian regime in Nicaragua.

In this piece, Ksenia Turkuva, an exiled journalist, writes about her journey through Russia’s shrinking media landscape, reflecting on her early career and the harsh realities of censorship. She contrasts her experiences with the eerie parallels she now sees in America, warning of the creeping fear and rhetoric that echoes the tactics of repression she once knew in Russia.

Report for the World and Columbia University (SIPA) have launched The Path to Impact: Insights from Global Majority Newsrooms, an impact report highlighting the global impact of local journalism in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America.

This study explores the role of exiled Egyptian journalists in Türkiye, emphasizing their attempts to establish legitimacy and a professional identity that sets them apart from mainstream media. This analysis highlights the complexities of exiled journalism as it seeks to balance professional aspirations with the realities of political affiliations and conflicts.

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.

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.

This report “2024: Confronting Political Pressure, Disinformation, and the Erosion of Media Independence” identifies serious threats, including the digital surveillance of journalists and its risks to source confidentiality, the transnational repression of journalists—particularly from Russia and Belarus—and the trend of media capture by governments in some countries.

The Justice for Journalists Foundation (JFJ) released a report examining the key trends and developments in the media landscape of 12 post-Soviet states (excluding the Baltic States) over the past eight years. The report, compiled in collaboration with local partners, highlights significant changes and challenges faced by the media in these countries since 2017.

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.

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.