JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Russia is increasingly branding journalists as “terrorists.” In October 2025, the state labeled Dozhd TV’s editor-in-chief a terrorist; weeks later, two more exiled media figures joined a blacklist alongside ISIS and Navalny’s organization. They are not alone — at least 60 media workers now appear on Russia’s “Terrorist and Extremist” list.

Authorities in Russia are expanding their surveillance to monitor not just journalists but also the audiences of independent media. This growing crackdown intimidates citizens who access alternative news and complicates efforts by exiled outlets to reach people inside the country, highlighting new risks for both readers and reporters.

The ACOS Alliance has launched a global directory of safety trainers and advisors to help journalists access tailored expertise. The searchable database connects media workers – including those operating in exile – with specialists in risk assessment, digital security and crisis response, supporting safer reporting across borders and high-risk environments.

Alexander Udikov’s Medium blog offers personal insights into life as a Russian journalist forced into exile after persecution for anti‑war articles. Since receiving political asylum in France in 2024, Udikov chronicles daily life, bureaucratic hurdles, creative workarounds and the ongoing challenge of staying true to independent journalism beyond Russia’s censorship.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warns of Russia’s growing use of in absentia convictions against exiled Russian journalists and foreign media professionals. This repressive legal tactic is used to intimidate journalists, block their return to Russia and pressure their relatives,  and has become commonplace since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The publishing of personal identifiable information (PII) online – such as a home address, email, or phone number – without consent in order to harass, intimidate, extort, etc.. You may see your name and PII circulating on social media, websites, or watchlists; receive an influx of abusive and threatening emails, calls, texts, social media messages, and/or physical mail; and/or see or hear about people showing up at your home, work, or events.

Defending trustworthy news means knowing how to counter the propaganda tactics that oppose reliable reporting to further ideological goals. To this end, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has published a new report compiling all the content from The Propaganda Monitor, a website dedicated to exposing the way propaganda and disinformation operate so they can be tackled.

A new Russian law – which came into effect in September – punishes online searches for what the government labels ‘extremist content’. But while the Kremlin has published a list of more than 5,000 banned websites, there’s still little clarity surrounding the law’s implementation and what makes the designated content ‘extremist’.

Around the world, countless people are targeted because of their political opinions, activism, or affiliations. They face arrest, surveillance, intimidation, and sometimes even torture or death. For many, fleeing their country is the first step to survival. But once outside of the immediate danger, the question becomes: how can they truly rebuild a life if their old identity continues to expose them to risk?

An AI translation tool, able to translate news content into a minority language, has proven successful for a media outlet in Greenland. This case could now inspire others to do the same. In 2023, the Danish tech startup MediaCatch developed an AI translation tool for Sermitsiaq, which is able to quickly translate news content into a minority language ignored by most big tech companies.

In the article, journalist Nikita Sologub shares how independent media like Mediazona continue reporting in Russia despite mounting repression. Founded to expose abuses in the Russian prison system, Mediazona has operated for over a decade, even as press freedom has deteriorated and the state increasingly targets dissenting voices.

This report explores tools, techniques, and legal strategies to erase digital footprints and create a new, lawful identity. Drawing on real-world cases, privacy software, and legal frameworks, it offers a practical guide for journalists, whistleblowers, and dissidents seeking to avoid surveillance.

Claire Murphy reports on the plight of Russian journalist Lilia Yapparova, who fled to Latvia after the Kremlin’s crackdown on independent media. Yapparova, along with hundreds of other Russian journalists, has found refuge in Latvia, a country that offers crucial support through organizations like Media Hub Riga.

Exiled Russian media site IStories has shared with GIJN how it built an AI-powered database of Russian military war dead and missing, and why it was worth creating. Katya Bonch-Osmolovskaya, editor of IStories’ data department, explains how the AI was trained, what kind of data Charon can collect, and why journalists should start learning to work with neural networks.

Benjamin Quénelle reports about the efforts of Russian journalists in exile who are discreetly training young reporters still living under the country’s oppressive media landscape. Despite the risks, these aspiring journalists are determined to pursue fair and honest reporting, even as Russia ranks 162nd globally for press freedom.

Since March 2022, The Moscow Times has had to operate in exile from Amsterdam. Like dozens of other exile media outlets, it endures impossible conditions and high security risks to be a beacon of hope. A visit to the newsroom.

Lilia Yapparova explores the crisis within Russia’s exiled opposition three years into the war, as internal divisions and the death of Alexey Navalny leave many anti-war Russians feeling disillusioned and unrepresented. She examines the movement’s fragmentation, the challenges faced by its leaders in exile, and the uncertain future of Russia’s pro-democracy forces.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has designated the independent media outlet Komi Daily as a “terrorist organization”. This marks the first time the FSB has applied such a label to a media outlet. The Supreme Court finalized the designation in late December, intensifying Russia’s suppression of dissenting voices, particularly the independent media critical of the Kremlin.