Why Support for Independent Journalism Matters Amid war, growing repression, and freedom under threat in many parts of the world, the #HannahArendtInitiative strengthens independent voices worldwide. Upon the 50th anniversary of its namesake’s death, the programs provide protection, foster networking, and open new perspectives – whether in home countries or in exile.
Globally, press freedom and other fundamental rights have become significantly narrower or evaporated altogether. In 2025, the issues that the German-born American political theorist and public intellectual explored are again highly relevant. The same is true for her reflections on totalitarianism, power, and freedom.
In 2025, the global state of press freedom has reached an historic low. According to the annual index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), conditions for media professionals are described as “difficult” or “very serious” in 90 out of 180 countries assessed. The internationally active organization attributes this to a combination of rising authoritarianism, increasing economic pressure, and a growing geopolitical insecurity.
Armed conflicts and wars continue to have a devastating impact on the safety of journalists and media professionals. The number of those injured or killed rose again in 2025. In some cases, human rights experts and NGOs even suspect targeted killings.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the most victims were recorded in Gaza, where a ceasefire agreed to in October has temporarily halted the war. Since 2023, more than 200 Palestinian media professionals are reported to have died there – around 50 of them in direct connection with their work. In Ukraine, nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, 14 journalists have been killed (as of October 2025). In Sudan, seven cases were documented earlier this year, and the number is likely to have risen since.
The dangers for journalists are not limited to war zones. While reporting freely in autocracies, they also face kidnappings, torture, imprisonment, and surveillance. Globally, their numbers have increased – and in 2025, autocracies even surpassed the number of democracies. This is the finding of a study by the V-Dem Institute in Gothenburg, Sweden, which also points to tendencies towards autocracy in 45 countries.
Disinformation and propaganda serve the interests of authoritarian rulers, while independent reporting is censored and criminalized. As a result, many journalists and media outlets are forced to leave authoritarian states – and, according to the JX Fund, more than ever before.
Those who intimidate or silence journalists clear the way for arbitrariness, corruption, and abuse of power.
Penelope Winterhager, former Managing Director of the JX Fund, a key partner of the Hannah Arendt Initiative
(Source: The Axe at the Roots of Democracy, DerStandard.de, October 1, 2025)
Attacks on media and media professionals are no longer rare – even in democratic countries. In just the first half of this year, the MFRR Monitoring Report documented 709 press freedom violations across 36 EU member states, affecting more than 1,200 journalists and media outlets. The analysis shows that media professionals in Europe are increasingly working in a hostile environment.
In early 2025, a major decision by the U.S. government had far-reaching consequences: its large-scale reduction of international development aid. This cut also affected media development, creating a funding gap for independent outlets. Further impacts are expected in 2026. In addition, the U.S. reduced the budgets of its own international broadcasters, such as Voice of America and Radio Liberty.
The public intellectual and political theorist was born in 1906 to liberal Jewish parents in the German city of Hanover. As National Socialism and antisemitism spread, she was forced to flee twice, first to France and then to the United States. In American exile, she became one of the most prominent – though often controversial – intellectuals of her time. She died in New York City on December 4, 1975.
Hannah Arendt is still a thinker for our times.
Lyndsey Stonebridge, literary scholar and author
(Source: Hannah Arendt’s lessons for our times: The banality of evil, totalitarianism and statelessness, The British Academy, August 23, 2024)
Arendt repeatedly emphasized the importance of independent thinking. Lyndsey Stonebridge of the University of Birmingham sees this as a responsibility for institutions: they must create the conditions that make independent thought possible.
Keeping spaces open for free thinking and independent work is a core mission of the Hannah Arendt Initiative. Launched by the German Federal Government in 2022, the initiative supports journalists and media professionals so they can continue reporting independently – whether in a crisis or conflict zone, or, if circumstances require, by restarting their work in a safer third country. Exiled media receive assistance to rebuild their newsrooms.
Recent requests for help from countries where pressure on independent media has intensified show that demand for the initiative’s programs is growing. These programs are implemented by four civil society organizations:
The challenging circumstances for media professionals in many parts of the world shaped the Fellowship for Critical Voices in 2025, driving increased demand for emergency assistance, legal counseling, trauma care, and, in many cases, relocation.
Since its launch in 2022, the fellowship has supported more than 1,000 journalists from more than 35 countries, working either in their home countries or in exile. MiCT operates several protection hubs – including in Ukraine and Syria – and provides tailored support such as legal advice, psychological care, and professional development opportunities. The goal: to safeguard pluralistic journalism where it is most under threat. Reports and articles by fellows, which can be found via MiCT’s website, show that this can be achieved in places such as Afghanistan and Gaza.
Some of this year’s fellows collaborated on a transnational research project tracing the routes of scrap metal from war zones in Syria, Ukraine, and Libya, ultimately being sold to Europe. Stories like these often go far beyond reporting facts – they strengthen transparency, enforce accountability, and keep public debate alive. This is also true for other reports, for example from Sudan’s Darfur region, where the exploitation of tribal structures for military recruitment were exposed or for an investigation from Mali that revealed military embezzlement, and for a piece from Côte d’Ivoire, that uncovered election-related disinformation.
In 2025, DW Akademie’s Space for Freedom project focused on exiled journalists in Eastern Europe and Central America. In Europe, uncertainty around residency status and restrictive visa regulations made individual counseling and legal support particularly critical. A key priority was community-building: networking events and peer-exchange formats helped reduce isolation in exile.
Production grants and direct project funding enabled exiled Belarusian and Russian media professionals to continue reporting despite U.S. funding cuts. These grants enabled several investigative and cross-border collaborations, including partnerships between exiled and local media.
The release of 14 imprisoned Belarusian journalists brought hope – but also new challenges: reintegration and sustainable career prospects. DW Akademie coordinated support to help ease both.
In Central America, press freedom faces dual threats: state pressure on media and organized crime. DW Akademie supported exiled journalists – primarily from Nicaragua – through stipends, security advice, and exchange opportunities. Regular needs assessments inform future program design, ensuring that exiled journalists can continue working and sustain their livelihoods.
The Voices of Ukraine program by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) remained focused on the war in 2025. It provided Ukrainian journalists with technical equipment, insurance for frontline assignments, and a dedicated “Women in Media” component. Temporary breaks in Kosovo were also offered.
In 2025, ECPMF supported nearly 800 Ukrainian journalists and more than 100 media outlets. The exhibition “The Only Material,” hosted at the Museum for Communication in Berlin, and attracting 13,000 visitors, highlighted how profoundly the war has shaped the lives and careers of those journalists who were supported.
In 2025, the JX Fund responded to the increasingly precarious situation of independent exiled media caused by the closure of USAID programs and declining civil society funding. At the same time, demand for support surged as more journalists were forced to leave their home countries due to political repression. The JX Fund provided flexible emergency grants, facilitated legal and psychological assistance, and launched projects tailored to the diverse needs of exiled media.
A major focus was on long-term sustainability across different phases of exile – from setting up operations to achieving economic stability and fostering innovation. Pilot projects included:
Moreover, the Klebnikov International Media Fellowship strengthened cross-border exchange, connecting 12 exiled media outlets from Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Russia with international peers through workshops and networking in Berlin.
The JX Fund also curated resources on journalism-in-exile.org, published data-driven studies and country profiles (Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Azerbaijan), and released publications on key topics such as “How Exiled Media Contribute to International Reporting” or “How Exiled Media Challenge Disinformation and Propaganda”. A position paper underscored why exiled media are an essential part of the global information ecosystem. Through conferences and panels, the JX Fund helped anchor the topic of exile journalism in global debates on the future of media.
In a world where spaces for truth and plurality are narrowing, the partners of the Hannah Arendt Initiative aim to remain a vital anchor for independent journalism in 2026. This means continuously adapting programs to meet evolving needs.
One example is transnational repression. As the year 2025 has shown, digital surveillance and persecution do not stop at national borders. Even in exile these threats must be addressed. The goal remains to ensure the digital and physical security of supported journalists in the long term.
Services expected to remain of high demand in 2026 include psychosocial counseling, visa assistance, emergency support, and relocation aid. The partners plan to create new safe spaces for independent reporting and expand existing ones. They also aim to strengthen secure networks and promote media entrepreneurship.
The Hannah Arendt Initiative is a program of the German Federal Government to protect media professionals from crisis and conflict regions. Its projects are funded by the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).
This article was jointly prepared by the coordination office and the partner organizations of the Hannah Arendt Initiative.