JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

The media outlets in exile that we support at the JX Fund are independent, and must ascribe to the Munich Charter of Ethics on the Duties and Rights of Journalists. This Charter includes values such as respecting the freedom of information and expression, and the obligation to independently verify information and to publish corrections when errors occur. Independent journalists should strive to contribute to an open, democratic discourse and to enrich this discourse with well-researched information.

The objective of the JX Fund is to make a broad range of independent journalists and media outlets in exile heard by as many people as possible in their countries of origin. We focus on supporting media outlets rather than individual journalists.

The terms “independent,” “exiled,” and “media” are not always easy to define. Very often, they depend on the context and must be considered on a case-by-case basis. As a rule, the JX Fund supports media outlets that meet the following criteria:

“Media” for us means:

• Self-identification: The organization identifies itself as a media outlet; it produces its own content or transforms existing content.
• Content: The published content is journalistic, i.e. non-fictional and not purely informative (e.g., an event platform); new content is published regularly (at least once a month); a minimum scope of an audience can be defined (considering country specifics).
• Journalistic approach: The published content does not justify violence, extremism, or terrorism (according to common standards).
• Relevance: The published content covers current affairs and has significant social relevance.
• Publisher: The outlet is not a media arm of a non-media organization.

“In exile” for us means:

• Self-identification: The country in question is seen as the media organization’s country of origin; the media organization does not identify itself as primarily focused on the diaspora.
• Risk in the country of origin: The conditions in the country of origin make it impossible to work there; employees in the country of origin are or would be threatened by administrative measures, prison, or physical violence.
• Audience: The majority of the media organization’s audience is located in the country of origin; the media organization is technically able to reach its audience in the country of origin; the content is published in the native language(s) of the country of origin; the published content is related to current events in the country of origin.
• Operation: A significant part of the editorial team/management comes from the country of origin but operates outside it.

“Independent” for us means:

• Connections: The media organization is not or has not been primarily affiliated with a state actor, a politically exposed person, or a political party; the media organization was not founded and is not operated by a political party or a non-media entity; the media organization has not been accused of spreading propaganda.
• Finances: The media organization is financially independent of political parties, politically exposed persons, and state funds (over longer periods of time).

The JX Fund distinguishes between four different kinds of support, which are designed to be complementary.

• Intermediation: The JX Fund maintains a broad database that collates the services offered by various institutions, civil society organizations, and individuals. Our Exiled Media Enquiry Desk provides useful information about existing support to media outlets and journalists in exile who get in touch with us.
• Funding: The JX Fund awards grants of varying amounts to support media outlets in rebuilding their operations in exile.
• Projects: To support newsrooms in developing sustainable and financially viable media organizations, the JX Fund and its partner organizations design projects that address the acute needs of journalists in exile. The scope of projects covers legal advice, co-production spaces, strategy sessions with professional coaches, access to modern technologies, and much more.
• Expertise: Exiled journalism in the digital age is a new, rapidly developing, and still under-researched phenomenon. In-depth analysis of the developments and needs of entire media scenes in exile is helpful both for the media and for supporting organizations.

In the years 2022-2024, the JX Fund supported independent media from Afghanistan, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine who were (and/or still are) forced to work in exile in various countries. Our Exiled Media Enquiry Desk helped and still helps exiled media professionals from all over the world to find useful information about existing support services. In 2024, we responded to enquiries from media professionals from 15 countries. In our Country Profiles you will find comparable information on exiled media landscapes from different regions.

The country-specific programs of the JX Fund are tailored to the particular needs of exiled media from certain countries. A program that was developed for one particular country cannot simply be transferred to another. There can be stark differences from country to country in the challenges faced by journalists, as well as in the existing support programs, creating an entirely different set of needs. Our programs are developed in regular dialogue with the editorial teams in exile and in close collaboration with our partner organizations, as well as based on the findings from our monitoring tools and studies.

The selection criteria and processes may vary slightly from case to case, depending on the overall aim and target group of the projects (specific profiles, skills, or experiences may be a requirement in some cases). As a rule, the JX Fund publishes open calls for grants or participation in various projects. For a general description of media that we support, please see the section “Who we support” above.

All applications that meet the formal criteria are submitted to a rotating, independent expert committee that usually consists of three to five members, who are chosen based on their regional knowledge, journalistic experience, and expertise in media development. The members of the expert committee initially assess the applications individually before submitting their assessments anonymously for the entire committee to discuss. Final recommendations are based on a vote.

Promoting sustainability and diversity are important guiding principles of our work. Since its foundation, the JX Fund has supported very different media in different phases of their development in exile. These have included large media as well as small, niche media. We welcome creativity in formats, channels, and business ideas, as long as they are viable.