JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Ten years after a coup attempt on July 15, 2016, Turkey’s independent media has been largely dismantled through a combination of mass imprisonment, outlet closures, regulatory punishment, internet censorship and the consolidation of media ownership in pro-government hands. This and more has continued putting pressure on journalists in exile.

Across much of Asia, a quiet transformation is taking place in journalism. While many established news organizations continue to grapple with declining advertising revenue, shifting audience behavior, platform dependence, and growing competition for attention, a diverse group of independent digital publishers is attempting to chart a different course.

To mark World Refugee Day on 20 June, RSF released a map showing the exile of journalists supported by RSF since 2021. Against an international backdrop the number of countries from which media professionals fled has doubled in five years. For these journalists continuing their work is hampered by the dangers that come with it and the limitations of reception policies.

A new Human Rights Myanmar report, released in May in partnership with the IPCM, warns that major digital platforms failed to protect Myanmar’s independent media during the junta’s 2025-26 elections, enabling censorship, threats, and financial exclusion against exile-based journalism. It describes the polls as a “sham election”.

JX Fund, with support of The Fix Research and Advisory, has just published the first major cross-country overview of what they call Exiled Independent Media, or EXIM. Across eight countries studied in depth, researchers identified at least 280 verified outlets, although the real number is almost certainly much higher.

Exiled independent media face growing pressure to survive financially and structurally in an increasingly unstable global news ecosystem. This essay revisits lessons from the 1970s media landscape to explore how journalism can adapt to fragmentation, platform dependency and shrinking resources, offering reflections on sustainability models for exile outlets today.

This paper draws on 68 interviews and a global survey of 177 media outlets and media support organizations to chart the financial, sectoral, and political impacts of terminating most U.S. support for independent media. We find the following: The sudden, ill-planned termination of U.S. governmental support caused harm and waste.

The Fix analysed eight autocracies with limited internet freedoms and extensive internet shutdowns across the world, which are also among the largest producers of exiled media we regularly monitor with JXF, to understand the varieties of digital censorship through the Internet shutdowns.

Media makers forced into exile share candid insights on continuing independent work from abroad in this ASC MediaRisk panel discussion. Contributors reflect on safety challenges, digital threats, audience engagement and sustaining journalistic identity while displaced. Their perspectives highlight resilience and the complex realities of reporting beyond borders.

Cuban journalist Ana Rodríguez dismantles official statistics and state narratives from exile, showing how data is manipulated to shape public perception in Cuba. From debates on inflation to poverty figures, she challenges government claims using independent sources, illustrating how exiled media can counter misinformation and offer factual perspectives to audiences inside and outside Cuba.

As censorship and political pressure rise, journalism is increasingly taking place outside national borders. Media.am critiques this growing trend, showing how independent reporters are forced into exile to continue their work, and reflecting on the challenges and shifts in storytelling when news is produced away from home.

Venezuela’s new amnesty law has led to the release of jailed journalists and other political detainees after months in prison, but activists and rights groups argue it mainly serves the regime’s image rather than addressing systemic repression. Critics say the measure excludes accountability and leaves continued restrictions on press freedom.

In a letter published by Zan Times, author Margaret Atwood addresses Afghan women living under Taliban rule. Drawing parallels to her book The Handmaid’s Tale, she highlights the erosion of rights and underscores writing and solidarity as tools of resistance and dignity.

Ahead of Djibouti’s 2026 election, independent journalism has been almost entirely erased, forcing critical voices into exile. This analysis shows how censorship, arrests and surveillance create a tightly controlled media environment, while exiled outlets attempt to report from abroad. The piece highlights how the absence of free media undermines democratic processes.

A new analysis from the Reuters Institute explores the complex decisions facing Syrian journalists in exile after the fall of Bashar al‑Assad. Some consider returning to report from inside Syria, weighing hopes for greater impact against persistent security threats, legal uncertainties and ongoing turmoil that still endanger independent reporting.

The Cuban government has blocked independent news outlet El Toque, further shrinking information space for citizens already cut off from uncensored reporting. The move highlights ongoing efforts by authorities to suppress critical journalism, deepen digital censorship, and limit access to diverse sources – complicating efforts by exiled and independent Cuban journalists to reach audiences.

In Costa Rica’s capital San José, a hidden TV station called Nicaragua Actual is broadcasting news aimed at audiences inside Nicaragua, where independent reporting is widely suppressed. Operating discreetly from exile, its team produces and distributes content to counter state censorship and provide alternative information to people facing media repression at home.

This Reuters Institute report shows how Cuban journalists based abroad continue covering their homeland despite strict censorship and information blackouts. Through remote sourcing, social media, clandestine networks and verification techniques, exiled reporters work to pierce state control and deliver news to audiences inside and outside Cuba, revealing both innovation and the obstacles they face.