Expertise & Research

Projects

The phenomenon of journalism in exile has emerged as a significant global trend in recent years. The JX Fund utilizes modern tools for recording, monitoring, and analyzing the performance and needs of entire exiled media communities. Our data-driven studies target researchers, donors, politicians, journalists, and the exiled media themselves.

LOCKING DOWN THE WINDOWS: A NEW PHASE IN THE FIGHT FOR PRESS FREEDOM IN RUSSIA

September 2024 | Study

While Russian authorities are building a toolbox for censorship – not just for themselves, but for despotic regimes across the world – Russian exiled media invest in anti-censorship technologies to fight it. Despite their comparatively small resources and size, they have developed a wide range of innovative digital solutions – from blocking resilient magic links to browser extensions that counter YouTube slowdowns. Even more impressively, they have done so largely without the support of Big Tech firms. In fact, many of the social media platforms have done more harm than good: indiscriminately creating hurdles for Russian content creators or worse, being manipulated by censors to take down independent or opposition content.

Our report presents the state of the Russian media market as it enters a new, even darker phase, as well as an overview of the media that are fighting back.

Implementation: The Fix Research and Advisory

AN UNBROKEN SPIRIT: AFGHANISTAN EXILED MEDIA SINCE THE TALIBAN TAKEOVER

July 2024 | Study

Despite a wide range of challenges in exile, independent Afghan media in exile remain highly esteemed by their audiences. Cumulative YouTube views reached an estimated 36 million as of April 2024, while an aggregate of 6 million followers on Facebook engage with media. 27% of the exiled media covered in this study use television formats which means high production costs.

This study is a well-founded overview of the existing Afghan media in exile based on data gathered from both open sources and submitted by market stakeholders, including the media themselves.

Implementation: The Fix Research and Advisory

SILENCED BUT RESILENT: BELARUSIAN MEDIA SINCE THE REVOLUTION OF 2020

March 2024 | Study

Since the revolution in Belarus was violently suppressed in 2020 there has been a mass exodus of the last remaining independent media.

In addition to the financially precarious situation in exile, one major challenge is maintaining relations with the audience inside of the country, while websites and social media are blocked and Belarusians face retaliation for sharing or even viewing “extremist content” (security forces frequently inspect the phones of people, both “suspect” and random).

Yet despite these challenges, independent Belarusian media are still uniquely valued by their audiences. The five biggest sites had over 17 million visits in December 2023. That same month, the average time spent on site was over 10 minutes for leading Belarusian outlets. These numbers show that although the state spent an estimated 50 million euros on propaganda in 2023, the people of Belarus still highly value objective and trustworthy coverage.

Implementation: The Fix Research and Advisory