JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

In this podcast episode from taz Panter Stiftung’s “Freie Rede” series, jurist and writer Maxim Znak, journalist and photographer Sergei Balai, and journalist Alena discuss a law forcing exiled Belarusians to return home to renew passports—risking arrest if they do, or losing valid ID if they don’t—and its impact on those who fled after the 2020 protests.

The internet is a haven for journalism in countries where press freedom is endangered. Exiled outlets report from abroad, beyond the reach of domestic regulators and press laws. But no space is truly safe: in recent years autocracies have innovated to promote their agendas online, exploit social media algorithms, and block critical media.

Myanmar Satirical Journalism sits at the center of one of the most dramatic press-freedom reversals documented anywhere on this site: a media landscape that had genuinely opened during the 2011 to 2021 reform period collapsed back into severe restriction within weeks of the February 2021 military coup.

Strong institutions make the Baltic states global leaders in media freedom, while independent local media across the Eastern Partnership face unstable, crisis-driven funding and constrained decision-making power. This article presents a report on media development, looking at three interconnected themes: Funding, local ownership, and adaptation.

When an autocracy persecutes, scilences, intimidates its critics outside the country, it is referred to as transnational repression. The topic has gained prominance in recent years, as dissidents from russia and belarus have increasingly sought refuge in the EU. But regimes suppress not only activities inside their own borders, but also try to pressure ones in exile.

Nicaraguan journalists who sought refuge in Costa Rica say they are facing surveillance and intimidation linked to the Ortega regime. The reports suggest that repression extends beyond Nicaragua’s borders, undermining Costa Rica’s role as a safe haven and exposing the growing risks of transnational repression for journalists who continue reporting from exile.

Nicaraguan independent outlet CONFIDENCIAL marks three decades of investigative journalism under growing repression. Founder and editor Carlos F. Chamorro reflects on newsroom raids, forced exile and the transformation of the outlet into a transnational newsroom. The story shows how exiled journalists adapt their work, maintain audience trust and continue reporting despite censorship.

A coalition of human rights organizations warns that Vietnamese authorities are expanding repression beyond national borders, targeting journalists and critics living in Thailand. The cases of exiled journalists Truong Duy Nhat and Duong Van Thai highlight the risks faced by independent reporters abroad, including surveillance, intimidation, detention and threats of forced return.

CIVICUS discusses the repression of press freedom in Djibouti with Zineb Haddaji, an exiled independent journalist who covers Djibouti and the Horn of Africa for international outlets and documents freedom of expression violations. Zineb is the founder of ZoomIn, a weekly TikTok series on daily life and systemic issues in Djibouti.

Websites of at least six exiled Belarusian news outlets and one journalists’ association, including Zerkalo and Reform.news, have been targeted since March by DDoS attacks, which aim to overwhelm websites with floods of internet traffic. The targeted media sites were all effectively banned from operating in Belarus after authorities labeled them “extremist” groups.

ANEM announced that four journalists were forced to leave Serbia due to, as it states, repression by the authorities, targeting campaigns and threatened security. The reason for ANEM’s new warning was the departure of military analyst and Nedeljnik contributor Radić, who left the country after pro-government media published footage of him being tracked.

Despite its persistently strong domestic record on press freedom and status as a global frontrunner in fostering free media, Finland comes up short in providing support for exiled journalists at home or abroad in recent years, according to the findings of a new report commissioned by eight Finnish freedom of expression organisations, including the IPI Finland National Committee.

RELPEX supports 457 professionals in exile or forced displacement and reports that 60% of the network’s journalists no longer work in journalism due to legal barriers or a lack of employment. A report by RSF indicates that the number of countries from which journalists go into exile has doubled in five years.

Nearly 1,500 journalists from at least 65 countries have received emergency support from Reporters Without Borders after being forced into exile between 2021 and 2025, due to threats of imprisonment and to their lives. This is shown by the data released June 19 ahead of World Refugee Day. Afghanistan accounted for almost half the cases.

Operating from exile in New York City, Masoumeh Alinejad-Ghomikolayi has transformed her personal rebellion against the Islamic Republic’s strict dress codes into a global human rights phenomenon. Through her prime-time television program “Tablet” on the VOA Persian network, Alinejad has become a central node in the resistance against compulsory hijab laws in Iran

In the “newsroom-house” where journalists from the CJ Platform live and work, Min Thu Win Htut, the outlet’s founder, often finds it impossible to sleep. “Around 23:00, when I stop working, it feels like the future goes dark,” Min Thu said. “It’s like I’ve arrived at a future where I don’t know what to do next. This happens almost every night.”

In January 2023, Johnn Williams Ntwali, an investigative independent journalist, died in an incident that the police described as a car accident. Colleagues and advocates for press freedom have questioned the circumstances of his death and pointed to the tightening of the state’s “invisible red lines” as well as the warning signs that had become increasingly clear by 2022.

World Refugee Day draws attention to journalists who have been forced to flee their home countries due to threats, conflict, or repression. While exile is now recognized as a growing reality for journalists worldwide, the experiences of journalists CPJ supported last year reflect the reality that relocation does not necessarily bring safety.