Hannah Arendt Initiative

Network for the protection of journalists and media worldwide

Hannah Arendt Initiative

We are a network of civil society organizations that, at the initiative and with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), protects and supports journalists from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus and other countries who are under threat as they conduct their important work.

Among the Hannah Arendt Initiative projects are training measures, regional scholarship programs and exile journalism centers in countries abroad as well as corresponding measures for journalists living in exile in Germany.

Partners in this protection program include DW Akademie, the European Fund for Journalism in Exile (JX Fund), MiCT – Media in Cooperation and Transition, and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).

The program is committed to state neutrality. Funding is based solely on unbiased criteria and independent juries free of state influence.

News from the projects

Blick in einen Raum der Ausstellung "The Only Material".

What drives journalists before the headlines of war take over?

You can find out in the Museum for Communication in Berlin in ECPMF’s exhibition called „The Only Material.“ Discover personal journeys of Ukrainian journalists reshaped by war, through powerful testimonies and photography. The exhibition opens on June 26, 2025 and runs until July 20, 2025.

Click here for more information and registration for the opening event.

Overshoulder-shot shows the frontpage of a newspaper called "La Prensa", behind there is a desktop.

Challenges of exiled female journalists in Central America

A new study from DW Akademie and IPLEX explores the situation of Central American women journalists in exile. With their findings on challenges and the women’s resilience, the authors want to close a knowledge gap.

Click here for the report and the study (in Spanish).

Casa para el Periodismo Libre: „A space that connects us“

In April 2018, Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega crushed protests demanding tolerance toward civil society and the media. Journalist Lucía Pineda Ubau talks with DW Akademie about her work in exile.

Click here for the interview.

Two years of war in Sudan: Stories from MiCT Fellows

Sudan is in the grip of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with Sudanese journalists among the most vulnerable. Through their reporting, participants of MiCT’s Fellowship for Critical Voices recount the war and its impact.

Click here to read the articles and watch the videos.

What journalists from Belarus and Russia need in exile

A new study examines the needs of media professionals from Belarus and Russia who live and work in exile. It addresses their most pressing problems and proposes solutions. The study was produced as part of DW Akademie’s Space for Freedom program.

Click here for the full article with a link to the study.

News from the partners

Myanmar nach dem Erdbeben 2025: Ein zerstörtes Gebäude.

Myanmar: How the earthquake and its aftermath impacts journalists

Amid government pressure and a weak infrastructure, journalists in Myanmar struggle to work after the recent earthquake, reports DW Akademie. The organization works with exile media from Myanmar.

Click here for the full report.

JX Fund: Insights into exile media landscapes

The JX Fund’s Country Profiles provide insights into the exile media landscapes of Afghanistan, Belarus, Russia, Syria and, now, Nicaragua. They show the challenges and range of exile media with data-based analysis, expert commentary and up-to-date statistics.

Click here for the Country Profile of Nicaragua.

The Partners of Hannah Arendt Initiative sign call for European support

The US government is cutting aid for independent media. DW Akademie, together with strong partners, is therefore calling for more European support for independent journalism. MiCT, ECPMF and JX Fund – the partners of the Hannah Arendt Initiative – have also joined in.

Click here to read the full call.

MiCT book launch: “Unbroken: 14 Stories of Ukrainian Resilience”

Young Ukrainian journalists interviewed other Ukrainians about how Russia’s invasion has affected their lives – and their resilience. Media in Cooperation and Transition supported the journalists, and the new book contains 14 very personal stories.

For more information and to download the book click here.

MiCT launches Exile Media Hub Brandenburg

A place of residence for exiled media professionals and a tailor-made educational program: MiCT’s new Exile Media Hub Brandenburg focuses on living and working during the initial period of exile.

Click here for the press release in German.