JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Nairobi has become a hub for journalists who have fled persecution across East Africa. Ethiopian journalist Natnael Gecho tells DPA how he continues running his independent media outlet from exile, using little more than a phone and laptop. His story illustrates both the possibilities of digital journalism in exile and the continued risks of transnational repression in Kenya.

Reporters Without Borders examines how China is exporting its model of state-controlled journalism and expanding its influence over the global information space. The report documents pressure on independent media abroad, including harassment and transnational repression targeting exiled and diaspora journalists, as well as efforts to recruit, coerce or silence media outlets outside China.

A new JX Fund Country Profile examines Iran’s growing exile media sector, documenting 16 independent outlets operating abroad and reaching audiences largely inside the country. The Fix highlights how these outlets navigate censorship, internet restrictions, fragmented teams and the risks of reporting remotely, while also facing threats from Iran beyond its borders.

A series of copyright complaints has led Meta to block the social media accounts of several Azerbaijani independent media outlets, including Abzas Media and Toplum TV. Many operate from abroad after facing repression at home, making social platforms crucial for reaching audiences in Azerbaijan. CPJ and NEMO have condemned the apparent misuse of copyright mechanisms to restrict exiled media.

Crossing a border doesn’t end the threats. Exiled journalists from Afghanistan, Russia, and the Uyghur community describe cyberattacks, disinformation, poisoning attempts, and pressure on family members back home—transnational repression that’s rising fast as exile itself has nearly doubled worldwide in five years.

Three years after being investigated for covering José Rubén Zamora’s trial, former elPeriódico journalists can legally return to Guatemala. But with courts closing the case and little else changed, four remain in exile, saying the state still owes them guarantees, reparations, and an apology before they’ll come home.

Serbia is now the only EU-Balkans country where journalists flee for safety. Columnist Marko Vidojković and military reporter Aleksandar Radić are among six exiled amid death threats, smear campaigns, and state harassment. As Belgrade edges toward EU accession, RSF says Brussels can no longer ignore Serbia’s press freedom crisis.

Afro-Cuban journalist Abraham Jiménez Enoa received the Percy Qoboza Award in Atlanta, defying the Havana regime that forced him into exile in 2021. Now living in Barcelona, separated from family, he linked press freedom to Black struggle, declaring “you cannot silence us” and dedicating the honor to colleagues still resisting inside Cuba.

Since Russia’s crackdown drove over 2,000 journalists into exile, more than 90 outlets now depend on YouTube, Telegram and other Big Tech platforms to reach audiences. This research examines how opaque AI algorithms shape their visibility—and how exiled media, in turn, try to exploit those same algorithmic biases to survive.

The internet is a haven for journalism in countries where press freedom is endangered. Exiled outlets report from abroad, beyond the reach of domestic regulators and press laws. But no space is truly safe: in recent years autocracies have innovated to promote their agendas online, exploit social media algorithms, and block critical media.

Clare Cook and David Lush explore how exiled media managers keep organisations running through repeated forced relocations. Drawing on workshops and interviews with exiled media leaders, they map five stages of instability and apply mixed embeddedness theory to show how support for exiled media can be strengthened.

Nicaraguan journalists who sought refuge in Costa Rica say they are facing surveillance and intimidation linked to the Ortega regime. The reports suggest that repression extends beyond Nicaragua’s borders, undermining Costa Rica’s role as a safe haven and exposing the growing risks of transnational repression for journalists who continue reporting from exile.

A new GIJN feature explores how investigative journalists from Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia collaborate across borders to uncover corruption and environmental crime in the Black Sea region. The story highlights how international partnerships, shared expertise and secure cross-border reporting help sustain accountability journalism under increasing political pressure.

Nicaraguan independent outlet CONFIDENCIAL marks three decades of investigative journalism under growing repression. Founder and editor Carlos F. Chamorro reflects on newsroom raids, forced exile and the transformation of the outlet into a transnational newsroom. The story shows how exiled journalists adapt their work, maintain audience trust and continue reporting despite censorship.

A coalition of human rights organizations warns that Vietnamese authorities are expanding repression beyond national borders, targeting journalists and critics living in Thailand. The cases of exiled journalists Truong Duy Nhat and Duong Van Thai highlight the risks faced by independent reporters abroad, including surveillance, intimidation, detention and threats of forced return.

Exiled Azerbaijani media outlets Meydan TV and AbzasMedia have won the 2026 Free Media Pioneer Award, a recognition presented by the International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) to organizations advancing independent journalism and the free flow of information. The award comes at a time of unprecedented pressure on independent media in Azerbaijan.

Exiled journalists often struggle to navigate mental health while facing challenges presented by language barriers, burnout, and even Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Some, also face an identity crisis causing them to lose their professional identity, audiences, and the newsroom communities that shaped their daily lives.

Despite its persistently strong domestic record on press freedom and status as a global frontrunner in fostering free media, Finland comes up short in providing support for exiled journalists at home or abroad in recent years, according to the findings of a new report commissioned by eight Finnish freedom of expression organisations, including the IPI Finland National Committee.