JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

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.

The Belarus government continued systematic persecution of the independent press within the overall context of its fight against dissent in 2025. The pressure on media workers intensified on the eve of Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s election on January 26, 2025 as well as in April 2025, when the few still operating independent regional media outlets suffered from searches and crackdowns in the governmental propaganda channels.

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.

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.

As Belarus prepares for another presidential election under President Lukashenko, opposition leaders and activists – including those in exile – are divided over whether engaging in dialogue with the regime can advance change. While some see negotiation as tactical, others warn it legitimizes repression and sidelines independent and exiled voices pushing for democratic reform.

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.

A new survey by jinn is examining how exiled media outlets are adapting their business models and monetization strategies amid recent funding challenges. Founders and managers of displaced newsrooms are invited to share their experiences.

Learn about the current situation in Venezuela following the surprising capture of Nicolás Maduro by the Trump administration. Valentina Lares, an exiled Venezuelan journalist, explains the situation. She is working for the news outlet Armando.info.