Opportunities in Exile

ECPMF is committed to solidarity with persecuted, threatened, and exiled journalists and media workers and supports them according to their individual needs. With this project, we want to expand our offers for journalists in exile with the primary goal of enabling long-term professional future opportunities and social participation. 

Project Activities

Media professionals worldwide are under pressure due to the deteriorating situation of press and media freedom. ECPMF provides practical and legal assistance as well as temporary shelter to journalists and media workers who are located in Europe, supporting their ability to continue working in the face of threats, harassment, and/or intimidation related to their journalistic activities. 

 

Because of the increasing threats against individual journalists, many of them are being forced to flee their countries of origin. Our project “Opportunities in Exile” provides individually adaptable support measures for journalists who are threatened or persecuted because of their work and has a specific focus on media professionals who are in exile in Germany.

 

The project consists of the following main activities: 

1. Individual support for journalists and media workers in exile in Germany

This individual support includes offers for exiled media workers in Germany which can be adapted depending on the situation and needs. The journalists get access to professional training, internships, language courses, legal advice, psychosocial support, equipment and networks. ECPMF provides the necessary funding and contacts to enable the journalists to shape their lives and professional pathways in Germany as independently as possible.

 

Read more here.

2. Temporary relocation: ECPMF’s Journalists-in-Residence Programme

Activity 2 includes part of our Journalists-in-Residence (JiR) programme, which offers temporary relocation for media workers who are particularly at risk.  The programme enables journalists who are under threat and located in Europe a temporary shelter in Germany. In a protected environment, they can distance themselves from crisis situations, take a break from work or continue researching their projects.

 

Read more here.

3. Support for supporters

Activity 3 complements the project by providing the responsible project staff and their network partners with opportunities for networking and further training in the field of psychosocial care. 

 

Read more here.

Please find more information about the support offers, eligibility criteria, application procedures and contact details in the respective sections of our website using the links above.

 

Project duration: 01 January 2023 – 31 December 2024

This project is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) and co-financed by the Free State of Saxony.

Opportunities in Exile

Contact

Katrin Schatz, Project Manager (katrin.schatz@ecpmf.eu)

Journalists in Exile Network

Through our support offerings for journalists in exile in Germany, we have worked with many talented and dedicated journalists and media workers. Get to know some of them, their stories, and their professional focus areas in our Journalists in Exile Network page.

Related news

Feature

Murdered, surveilled and sued: decisive action needed to protect journalists and salvage press freedom in Greece

Following a mission to Athens, eight international organisations call on the Government and Prime Minister to show political courage and urgently improve the climate for independent journalism and salvaging press freedom in Greece.

READ MORE
Statement

Urgent appeal to European Parliament: Ban spyware against journalists

ECPMF and 79 civil society and journalists' associations are calling on European Parliament to ensure that journalists are completely protected from spyware in the European Media Freedom Act.

READ MORE
Press release

Turkey: Annual international press freedom mission to Ankara, Diyarbakır, and Istanbul

Between 2 and 5 October 2023, five international media freedom organisations will conduct an annual joint press freedom mission to Ankara, Diyarbakır and Istanbul.

READ MORE
Statement

Cyprus: Call for thorough investigations into surveillance of Makarios Drousiotis

We are highly concerned about the alleged surveillance of journalist Makarios Drousiotis, and the lack of prompt, adequate or thorough investigation of the matter.

READ MORE
Feature

Greece: International press freedom mission to Athens

Between 25 and 27 September 2023, eight international press freedom and freedom of expression organisations will conduct a joint advocacy and fact-finding mission to Athens.

READ MORE
Statement

Public Letter on the role of the European Board for Media Services

We call on the European Parliament to strengthen the EMFA’s state advertising provisions and by doing so, ensure that media freedom can flourish in the European Union.

READ MORE