JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Exiled independent media are not a niche concern. They are a globally relevant institution at a moment when the infrastructure of accountability journalism  is under threat from multiple directions simultaneously. That is why we believe this report is an important invitation for joint reflection, and why we hope it reaches well beyond the community of practitioners and funders already familiar with this work.

Independent Syrian media in exile emerged as a result of the 2011 uprising and its violent repression: often emerging from citizen journalism and then evolving into professionalized newsrooms operating across borders. Over the past decade, the sector experienced waves of displacement – first into neighbouring countries (2012–2013), then deeper into Europe (2015–2016), especially after conditions in Turkey, where many media initially relocated to, deteriorated.

Following the crackdown on the independent media sector in the second half of 2021, most independent media left Belarus. It is estimated that at least 42 active independent media currently operate from exile (see definition and criteria), with at least 400 media workers who fled the country after 2020. Most of the Belarusian media in exile have found their new homes in Poland and Lithuania, from where they continue to serve Belarusian audiences.

The history of Russian independent media operating in exile is at least a decade old. But the mass exodus – counting dozens of outlets and hundreds of journalists – only started after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the related crackdown on free speech. The number of media operating outside Russia has since proceeded in waves – driven by growing repressions, both administrative and physical, as well as rising digital censorship.

The past year once again shook the Russian independent media sector in exile. Russian authorities tightened censorship, expanded surveillance, and criminalized the consumption of independent media content. Despite this hostile environment and a sector-wide financial crisis, independent media outlets in exile held their ground and even expanded their reach across multiple channels.

On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban takeover, we have updated our Afghanistan Country Profile, providing a current overview of independent media operating from exile. At least 40 independent outlets continue reporting on politics, human rights, and women’s issues despite repression, economic pressures, and challenges in navigating foreign environments.

Myanmar’s independent media has faced two major waves of exile, each with profound structural consequences. The initial wave occurred during the 1990s and 2000s under military regimes, when outlets like The Irrawaddy and Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) operated from various locations, notably including Thailand and Norway.

Independent Nicaraguan media operate almost entirely from exile, with over 25 journalistic initiatives providing news coverage mostly from Costa Rica, Spain, and the U.S. The first mass relocation began in 2018, when the Ortega regime violently repressed protests. This included a brutal attack on the independent press, forcing many journalists into exile.

Over the past year, Russia has done more than simply refine its already deeply repressive system – it is currently in the middle of building a new model of digital censorship, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on top of its already bloated propaganda budgets to ensure its people are fully isolated from independent and objective voices. One of the Kremlin’s most important targets: Russian independent media in exile.

The Taliban takeover in 2021 has created an environment of fear and uncertainty within the Afghan media community. Many journalists have fled their homeland in search of safety and freedom. Nonetheless, Afghan journalists in exile continue to demonstrate resilience and dedication to their profession. A new study now provides unprecedented insight into the development of the Afghan exiled media landscape.