JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

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.

This practical guide from LatAm Journalism Review outlines how independent media can prepare stronger applications for programs, grants and funds to support sustainability in Latin America. It highlights why applying helps clarify goals, organize teams and refine business strategies, and stresses diversifying income beyond grants for long‑term viability.

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.

Exiled media outlets often face fundraising systems built for stable, in-country organizations. The Global Forum for Media Development outlines practical adjustments – from framing exile in proposals to budgeting for instability – to help sustain journalism across borders under challenging conditions.

This toolkit builds on the Pulitzer Center’s AI Spotlight Series, an initiative designed to expand the field of AI accountability reporting by equipping journalists worldwide with the skills and knowledge necessary to cover AI critically and responsibly. In an effort to make the AI Spotlight Series resources even more accessible, they are open-sourcing the course modules, slide decks, and videos produced by our instructors who are some of the world’s leading tech reporters and editors.

The following list brings together five tools that media outlets and fact-checking organizations use for tasks ranging from tracking disinformation and analyzing its dissemination patterns, to recovering deleted content and analyzing audiovisual material.

Journalist and propaganda expert Pavlyuk Bykovsky analyzes the role propaganda plays in the Lukashenko regime and how it has evolved since the mass protests of 2020. Bykovsky’s contribution not only helps to understand the specific principles of the Lukashenko dictatorship, but also sheds light on the general mechanisms of propaganda and disinformation.

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.

Editors who want to improve their news output and raise the professionalism of their staff now have access to free training materials. Media Helping Media – which is hosted by the Fojo Media Institute – has 50+ free day-long training lessons and a dozen six-week course modules covering a wide variety of journalistic disciplines. All the material is completely free-of-charge.

The Belarusian-Ukrainian publisher has grown to over 200 employees in 28 countries, fuelled by community features and a new tech platform in its bid to challenge established players. As traditional media business models falter, publishers are searching for new ways to engage audiences and generate revenue. For the sports media network Tribuna, the answer lies in a major technological and global expansion.

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?

EUvsDisinfo has published an article detailing how Lukashenka’s regime continues its harsh retaliation against Belarusians five years after the 2020 protests. The piece highlights ongoing arrests, torture, and exile as part of the government’s efforts to suppress dissent and maintain control.

More than 60 exiled Belarusian journalists face criminal charges under opaque “special proceedings” that allow convictions in absentia. Authorities seize property, harass relatives, and label journalists as extremists in a sweeping campaign of transnational repression. Many now self-censor or work anonymously to protect themselves and their families.

“Paving the Way” is a comprehensive handbook by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), designed to support journalists in exile, particularly those relocating to Germany. It offers a curated collection of resources to help media professionals navigate their new environment, including information on legal rights, housing, language acquisition, and professional integration.

Protecting journalism in the AI age means adopting it responsibly. This guide is intended as a starting point for ongoing conversations within your organisation on how to use AI while upholding journalistic values—accuracy, fairness, transparency, and accountability. These principles serve as essential pillars for informed communities worldwide, allowing journalism to fulfil its vital role in society.

The Entrepreneurial Journalism Playbook is a practical guide for media leaders to develop a more effective and innovative business mindset. By including real-world case studies from four countries, the Playbook demystifies entrepreneurial journalism, outlines the basics of ‘pitching’ new business ideas and other entrepreneurial tactics, and lays out different funding and financing options, including an investment guide, for media projects.

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.

This guide has been produced with the support of UNESCO, thanks to its Global Media Defence Fund, to assist journalists – and other information professionals – when working with whistleblowers. It provides an accessible breakdown of the applicable legal framework, details the existing protections – and their limits – and offers practical advice on assessing and managing the risks involved in publicising public interest alerts.