JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

In 2025, the international landscape for independent media shifted dramatically. The closure of key USAID programs removed vital lifelines for many exiled outlets, while overall investment in civil society continued to decline. At the same time, political pressures on independent media grew across multiple countries. Together, these developments reshaped how information is produced, funded, and accessed worldwide.

These structural shifts also pose particular challenges for exiled media. In an environment of shrinking support, primarily those outlets with access to established networks, donor channels, and closed spaces are able to survive. This uneven survival has far-reaching consequences: outlets that served as early-warning systems for authoritarian developments, provided transnational reporting, and contributed independent insights to public debates in Europe and beyond are at risk of being dismantled. The weakening of such independent media networks not only undermines journalism in exile but also diminishes the global flow of reliable information.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION:
SUSTAINING INDEPENDENT MEDIA

“Providing exiled journalists with the support they need to keep doing their job – informing the public – is a matter of vital democratic and public interest. The JX Fund is an essential pillar of the international support infrastructure for exiled media, helping them not only to survive but, through its focus on media innovation and entrepreneurship, also to thrive and develop sustainably.”

–Antoine Bernard, Director of Advocacy and Assistance Reporters Without Borders

In response to the erosion of global funding and support infrastructures, in 2024–25 we piloted a set of interconnected initiatives focused on strengthening the resilience and long-term sustainability of exiled media by supporting sustainable business models, building newsroom capacity, and fostering technological innovation. This included helping media outlets develop new tools and digital solutions, integrate AI responsibly, and adopt strategies for secure communication and audience engagement, equipping journalists to continue independent reporting under extraordinary circumstances.

• Sustainable business models: Through Entrepreneurship Grants, JX Fund supported media outlets that are exploring new ways to finance independent journalism in exile. These initiatives ranged from paid thematic webinars and publishing ventures to advertising services and physical or digital hubs for diaspora communities.
• Capacity building and exchange: Several initiatives focus on helping newsrooms adapt their internal structures, audience strategies, and distribution channels to rapidly changing conditions. The Newsroom Pivot Program combined group learning and one-on-one mentorship to support organizational transformation and revenue development, while the Klebnikov International Media Fellowship created space for reflection, inspiration, and cross-border exchange with experienced editors and publishers.
• Technology and AI: Technology plays a growing role in helping exiled media overcome censorship, reach fragmented audiences, and work more efficiently with limited resources. Through the AI Resilience Program and Tech Innovation Grants, the JX Fund supports the responsible integration of AI tools and the development of technical solutions for secure communication, verification, distribution, and workflow optimization.

All of our projects are developed in close cooperation with international partner organizations. We thank our partners for their vision, strategic guidance, and operational support, which are essential in helping exiled media strengthen their sustainability, innovate in their practices, and reach audiences despite challenging circumstances.

Alongside these strategic projects, we provided grants to help exiled media rebuild operations and sustain reporting – in 2025, we awarded 38 grants to 30 independent media outlets in exile. Together with partner organizations, we also facilitated psychological and legal support for exiled journalists and newsrooms in need.

“The JX Fund has provided us with essential financial support, helping us sustain and grow our projects. Beyond funding, they have offered invaluable training sessions and strategic resources that have empowered our team and strengthened our operations. This partnership has been instrumental in our development, and we are sincerely grateful for their ongoing commitment and support.”

–BGMedia, Belarusian exiled media outlet

DATA, RESEARCH AND DISCOURSE:
MAKING EXILE JOURNALISM VISIBLE

Exiled media play a crucial role for audiences in their countries of origin. By providing independent reporting and diverse perspectives, these outlets counter state-controlled narratives and disinformation, inform civil society, and offer citizens a window into realities beyond the regime’s propaganda. Their reporting helps audiences stay aware of social, political, and human rights developments, and sustains a connection to broader, independent public debates.

At the same time, independent exiled media are essential pillars of the global information ecosystem. From uncovering hybrid warfare, election interference, and environmental crises to monitoring political repression and amplifying voices in conflict zones, exiled journalists kept the flow of reliable information alive. Their work safeguarded transparency, accountability, and democratic values far beyond their own borders.

In response to the increasingly precarious situation for independent journalism worldwide, the JX Fund made it a core task to generate knowledge, raise awareness, and make the realities as well as the impact of exile journalism visible to funders, policymakers, and the wider public.

• Country profiles and research: In partnership with The Fix Research & Advisory, JX Fund monitors 258 independent exiled media outlets across seven countries, collecting detailed data on audiences, editorial focus, and operational context. Building on this comprehensive data, we published in-depth Country Profiles that map media landscapes, political environments, and structural challenges. In 2025, profiles on Azerbaijan, Myanmar, and Nicaragua were released, and an updated Afghanistan profile was published in August. Using the same research framework, we also produced the study “Innovation as the Driving Survival Force,” which takes an in-depth look at independent Russian media in exile, examining financial sustainability, audience strategies, technological innovation, and responses to repression.
• Curated information: Through the platform journalism-in-exile.org, JX Fund collects and curates international publications on the phenomenon of exile journalism. By the end of 2025, more than 700 articles had been published, making the platform a key resource for journalists, researchers, donors, and a global public seeking reliable insights into journalism in exile.
• Publications: Through reports and thematic publications, JX Fund sheds light on complex and underexplored issues, drawing on examples from exiled media across different regions of the world. These publications highlight how journalists in exile report on critical topics, engage in transnational research collaborations, and counter disinformation, while also reinforcing the recognition of exile journalism as a permanent and indispensable pillar of the global information ecosystem.
• Conferences and public events: JX Fund contributed its research and insights to international panels and workshops at forums including the International Journalism Festival, the Exile Media Forum, and the Global Investigative Journalism Conference. Through these contributions, we connected exiled journalists, funders, and media professionals across borders, fostering dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange on the most pressing challenges facing journalism in exile.

LOOKING AHEAD:
STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE
IN A FRAGMENTED MEDIA LANDSCAPE

“This past year showed us that resilience depends on more than funding; it depends on how exiled media build and sustain their work. At JX Fund, we see our focus on entrepreneurship in 2026 not only as developing new revenue models, but as a way of preserving agency. Each part of our entrepreneurship program builds on this idea, connecting innovation, learning, and adaptation. Our aim is to create conditions in which exiled media can act, adapt, and remain visible, even as the world around them keeps changing.”

–Maral Jekta, Managing Director JX Fund

• Entrepreneurship and business models: JX Fund will continue to expand its work on media entrepreneurship, supporting experimentation with subscriptions, membership models, and alternative revenue streams. These initiatives aim to enhance financial independence and reduce reliance on increasingly volatile donor funding.
• Technology and security: Investments in secure technologies, AI-supported workflows, and decentralized distribution will remain central. These tools are essential for exiled media to overcome censorship, reach fragmented audiences, and operate safely under transnational repression.
• Research and data-driven programming: Analytical work, including country profiles, audience research, and structural mapping, will guide the identification of underserved regions, emerging exile hubs, and evolving support needs. This approach ensures that JX Fund’s programs remain targeted, inclusive, and impactful.
• Impact measurement and learning: Recognizing that success in contexts of repression cannot be measured by reach alone, JX Fund will explore innovative approaches to impact assessment and continue to share best practices across the sector.