JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Reyhana Masters and Laura Vidal examine how this global scourge is impacting the African and Latin America/Caribbean regions, the specific threat landscape for women journalists, and how those forced to flee can be better supported.

Sanctions targeting Russian propaganda have inadvertently crippled independent journalism. Exiled reporters, battling Kremlin censorship, face funding blockades from Western tech and financial giants, threatening their vital work of delivering uncensored news to Russians.

Defying cancer and constant threats, North Korean defector Kim Seongmin broadcasts uncensored news into North Korea, challenging Pyongyang’s grip on information. Through Free North Korea Radio, he inspires hope among those isolated by censorship—even as Kim Jong-un tightens his authoritarian rule.

Afghan journalists in exile confront harsh challenges: after escaping Taliban persecution, they now endure poverty, threats of deportation, and years-long waits for humanitarian visas in Pakistan. Many now struggle with mental health crises as Western nations delay promised aid.

Ahead of the COP29 U.N. climate summit in Azerbaijan, the government has escalated its attacks on press freedom, jailing six journalists from the independent outlet Abzas Media on dubious charges since last November. Speaking from exile in Berlin, acting editor-in-chief Leyla Mustafayeva calls it a “total crackdown on Azerbaijani media.”

Journalists from countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Iran have found a place to work in Istanbul. At a meeting, they talk about the opportunities and risks.

Investigative journalists in Africa have to bear many blows — from repressive governments, corporations trying to silence them, travel and visa restrictions, physical attacks, lawsuits such as SLAPPs, limited funding, and skill and training gaps. Still, they have found ways to overcome those challenges.

The personal and painful reality of life under surveillance is documented in a new film that follows an independent Cuban journalist’s flight into exile. After tough questioning by Cuban police, Abraham Jimenez Enoa relates his ordeal on camera.

Since the presidential campaigns started, at least eight journalists were imprisoned in Venezuela — an intimidation tactic that makes investigative reporting harder for independent news outlets.

Forced into exile, independent media outlet Frontier Myanmar has adapted to survive. By focusing on niche audiences and diversifying revenue streams with a membership model, data agency, and co-working space, the media outlet thrives despite challenges.

Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, detentions, imprisonments, and torture of journalists have surged, creating a “shadow of restriction and oppression” over press freedom in Afghanistan. Recently the Taliban have ordered TV channels in parts of Afghanistan to cease broadcasting images of living beings, after already banning music and female faces on screen.

The Media & Journalism Research Center has published a study on Media Regulation, Government and Policy in Russia. It explains the core principles of media regulation in Russia and the various forms of censorship that the Russian political system has introduced and refined over the past decades, profiles several key influencers in the Russian media policy and provides context on the country’s media policy.

The Kyrgyz state is increasingly cracking down on press freedom: One example is the case of an investigative journalist who was expelled from Kyrgyzstan due to his work against corruption. The journalist in exile calls on the international community to take action against the suppression of press freedom in Kyrgyzstan.

After 813 days in solitary confinement, Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora returns home, committed to exposing corruption despite heavy repression. In this interview, Zamora discusses the ongoing threats to press freedom under Guatemala’s authoritarian regime and his determination to continue the fight.

The Taliban have aggressively targeted media freedom and journalists over the past three years. They have banned photography and filming, mandated pro-Taliban reporting, used violence against journalists and media staff, carried out arrests, imposed severe censorship, threatened to shut down media institutions, and exploited journalists’ vulnerable status.

Iran stands as one of the most dangerous places for reporters, ranked among the top ten jailers of journalists globally. The government targets those who report on human rights violations, protests, or any government abuses, subjecting them to intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and violence.

In the lead up to the Georgian national elections on 26 October 2024, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and nine partner organisations in the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists published the following report and recommendations to ensure the safety of journalists and the right to reliable information.