JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

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.

In this article, Maxim Alyukov explores the persistent gap between what journalists deem newsworthy and what audiences actually care about. Drawing on global research and the challenges facing Russian independent media in exile, he argues that understanding public perceptions of relevance is essential to staying connected, credible, and impactful under repression.

This toolkit by GFMD provides guidance on launching a successful crowdfunding campaign and highlights platforms tailored for media initiatives. Crowdfunding has emerged as a viable solution for media organizations to engage directly with audiences for financial support, especially in light of the recent freeze on U.S. foreign aid.

In this piece, Ksenia Turkuva, an exiled journalist, writes about her journey through Russia’s shrinking media landscape, reflecting on her early career and the harsh realities of censorship. She contrasts her experiences with the eerie parallels she now sees in America, warning of the creeping fear and rhetoric that echoes the tactics of repression she once knew in Russia.

César López Linares explores 10 advanced AI terms, such as data mining, predictive analytics, and semantic search. He delves into how these technologies are transforming news organizations by enhancing investigative accuracy, boosting audience engagement, and increasing efficiency in news generation and reporting.

Recognizing a gap in basic investigative journalism skills, the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) and iMEdD’s Ideas Zone developed a guide as part of the ‘Introduction to Investigative Journalism’ program in 2024. The guide was written by leading investigative journalists from around the world to address this need.

The Global Directory of Journalist Safety Trainers & Advisors is a searchable database of security professionals with experience and expertise in journalist safety. It has been created to provide the ACOS Alliance community with direct access to safety trainers and advisors around the world, and to help them connect with those who meet specific geographic and thematic safety needs.

Organizing collaborative projects comes with its own challenges. This comprehensive guide, organized into seven chapters, also includes tips and tools, extra reading material, templates, and other links for more information.

As Vladimir Putin’s regime tightens its grip on free speech, the Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA) is stepping up to preserve endangered journalism. With backing from PEN America and Bard College, RIMA safeguards independent media, ensuring critical journalism outlasts authoritarian attempts to erase it.

In investigative journalism, connecting data points is often key to uncovering the truth. With an increasing amount of information available online and offline, journalists need effective ways to navigate vast collections of documents, records, and datasets.

Hundreds of journalists are forced into exile around the world by despots, autocrats, and crime cartels. Exiled editors are an old story. But amid the modern backlash against independent media, journalists are taking advantage of a new era in tools and technology. These digital toolkits are proving a game-changer, enabling journalists to better report on their homelands, and their audiences to better access that reporting.

As traditional funding models for journalism falter, philanthropy emerges as a crucial lifeline for news organizations. At the 2024 iMEdD International Journalism Forum, experts discussed the dynamics between funders and newsrooms, emphasizing the importance of empathy, long-term relationships, and strategic sustainability in navigating the evolving landscape of journalism.

Have you ever struggled to find a tool that does exactly what you need? You are not alone. More than 80 percent of open source researchers that participated in two Bellingcat surveys indicated that finding the right tools can be challenging. This is where Bellingcat’s new Online Investigations Toolkit comes in.

A new generation of Russian writers in exile is reviving Soviet-era tactics to outsmart Putin’s censorship. Through digital publishing, they’re documenting the war in Ukraine and government repression, reaching thousands back home with uncensored stories Russian authorities try to suppress.

As Russian independent media continues to face severe censorship following the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA) is stepping in to preserve critical journalism for future generations. Co-founded by renowned journalist Masha Gessen and historian Ilia Venyavkin, RIMA aims to protect the work of over 55 independent media outlets from disappearing under the weight of state repression.

With beabee for media in exile, funded by MIZ Babelsberg, a team from German independent newsroom CORRECTIV and Russian podcast platform Radio Sakharov set out to develop a membership and community platform designed especially for the needs of media in exile. Using the existing open source platform beabee, the team implemented additional features to enhance security for users in countries like Russia and facilitate (anonymous) engagement.

Russia’s censorship following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine not only led to the blocking of numerous independent Russian media outlets but also social media platforms popular with their audiences. For the Fix Veronica Snoj wrote down how exiled publishers serve audiences on new platforms and educate them on tools to bypass censorship.

As an exiled media outlet addressing Russian audiences, Meduza quickly fell under the Kremlin’s radar. It became one of the first media outlets the Russian authorities added to its “foreign agent” list in April 2021. For The Fix Veronica Snoj took a look at the tools the Latvia-based media outlet uses to reach its audiences in Russia.