JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

In Bangladesh, the safety of journalists remains precarious, with reporters frequently facing violent attacks under challenging conditions. The harrowing experiences faced by journalists highlights the ongoing crisis facing Bangladeshi media, and the steps that must be taken to ensure their safety, writes Khairuzzaman Kamal of Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum.

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 role of journalism in authoritarian and conflict-affected regions remains as crucial as it has ever been. While technological advances provide new opportunities for newsgathering, there are still plenty of pitfalls for those who are trying to convey the truth.

Ahmet Dönmez, a Turkish journalist living in exile in Sweden, said in an interview with the Journalisten news website that he left the country for the United States some two years after surviving a brutal attack in Stockholm. Dönmez had narrowly escaped death after being severely beaten in a suburb of Stockholm in March 2022.

Reports by the media in exile played a crucial role in documenting the atrocities of the Hasina regime in Bangladesh, even in the face of sedition charges. Three of the exiled journalists shared their experiences with The Business Standard.

Women Press Freedom identifies transnational repression as a significant threat to journalists who have fled authoritarian regimes, highlighting the increased use of tactics like surveillance, harassment, and violence to silence dissent beyond national borders. According to the report, 50% of exiled women journalists were targeted through transnational repression reside in the EU.

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.

Thousands of journalists fled the junta-controlled zones to the resistance areas or foreign lands, where they remain dedicated to reporting despite the many challenges of life in exile. Hailun Li has collected the stories of three exiled journalists for The Diplomat.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched a new online training course for exiled journalists, in partnership with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). The free e-learning course, which covers areas like UK media law, public affairs, writing styles and an introduction to the UK media industry, will help journalists forced to relocate to continue reporting.

Discrediting journalists involves various tactics such as false copyright claims, social media harassment, and misinformation. Powerful individuals and entities often lead these campaigns, leveraging their influence to silence dissent. The goal is not just to attack the journalist’s character but to undermine the credibility of their stories.

Vietnam’s government has been carrying out its most intense crackdown on critics in decades, jailing droves of activists, lawyers and journalists and driving even more into exile, according to human rights groups and security analysts. Rebecca Tan analyzed the current developments for the Washington Post.

Can Dündar, a Turkish journalist and author living in exile, has uncovered shady relations between the deep state and politicians in Turkey based on the narratives from a series of videos released by notorious Turkish mafia boss Sedat Peker in 2021.

The controversial re-election of President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela will “worsen” attacks on the press, said Artur Romeu, the Latin America director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). He also warned of an escalation in the persecution of journalists in Nicaragua.

Three years after mass protests in Cuba, exiled journalist José Jasán Nieves Cárdenas reports facing new threats from Havana. The editor of the independent news website El Toque is among dozens of journalists and activists who say they continue to endure harassment and intimidation.

In this article Emma Löfgren, editor at The Local and contributor at The Fix, rounds up some of the insights she learned when interviewing five leading experts for audience building.

Yavuz Baydar is an award-winning journalist, editor and analyst in Turkish and international media. Since the failed Turkish coup d’etat in 2016 Yavuz Baydar has had to live and work in exile. In conversation with Diana Huth, Yavuz Baydar analyzes the geopolitical implications of the 2024 elections and calls for greater support for exile journalism.

Finding funding for your journalism organization can be a daunting responsibility — especially if your organization does not have someone experienced in fundraising. The process is similar to investigative journalism: first, you must research funding sources, then prepare your story, and write a compelling narrative that makes the reader understand the importance of your work — and the need to fund it.

Newsletters are an effective way to establish a direct contact with your audience, unmitigated by the whims of social media algorithms. For individual journalists, newsletters can be a profitable option to share their work with their readers. But how?