Journalists are accustomed to reporting the news, not being the news. They are trained to observe, verify and document the experiences of others. Their own stories usually remain in the background, but exile changes that.
When a journalist, and an entire newsroom, is forced across borders, questions that might take months to answer under normal circumstances have to be addressed in a matter of hours:
How do you relocate an organization overnight? Who keeps access to your digital infrastructure? How do you continue publishing while helping colleagues find housing, navigate unfamiliar legal systems and rebuild their lives in a country they never expected to call home?
These were some of the questions that the NEMO Community explored during its latest Knowledge Exchange Session, where representatives from independent media organizations reflected not on the stories they cover, but on the story they themselves have lived.
The conversation was guided by one question: “If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?”
Media organizations from Azerbaijan, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Belarus, and Myanmar compared experiences shaped by different political realities, but similar organizational challenges. Here are some lessons on the practical, as well as institutional and personal side of exile:
Preparation begins long before anyone believes it’s necessary
Organizations that had thought through different scenarios before repression escalated found themselves better positioned when events accelerated.
Preparation meant deciding who could continue operations from outside the country, securing access to passwords and digital infrastructure, preparing legal documentation and thinking through multiple scenarios before they became reality.
“Prepare for the worst, not for the most optimistic scenario.”
Another participant recalled losing access to a social media account with more than 60,000 followers because administrative control had not been secured before leaving the country.
Planning, participants agreed, is not an expression of pessimism. It is what makes continuity possible when circumstances change overnight.
The hardest part of exile often comes years later
As the discussion evolved, participants stopped talking about logistics and began talking about time. Many admitted they had initially assumed exile would last only a few months. Years later, they are still rebuilding their lives and organizations.
Mental health was described not as an emergency intervention but as a long-term organizational responsibility. Participants reflected on homesickness that surfaced years after relocation, leadership fatigue and the emotional burden of supporting teams while navigating uncertainty themselves.
“The hardest period didn’t come immediately after leaving home. It came two or three years later.”
The discussion challenged a common assumption: reaching safety does not mean the crisis is over.
The human side of exile is often underestimated
Housing. Family. Legal paperwork. Pets.
These were not the topics participants expected to dominate the discussion, yet they quickly became some of its most memorable moments.
One participant described relocating animals as one of the most complicated and expensive aspects of moving an organization abroad. Others reflected on the administrative burden of rebuilding a life from another country. Organizations relocate, people too.
Leadership carries its own burden
Participants spoke candidly about what it means to lead during prolonged uncertainty.
Managers are expected to reassure colleagues, communicate with donors and keep organizations functioning while experiencing the same fears and instability as everyone else.
Several reflected on the lack of structured support for leaders themselves. Resilience, they argued, is not only about systems and funding. It is also about leadership.
When the newsroom becomes the story
Journalists are accustomed to telling other people’s stories. Exile forces them to tell their own.
Participants reflected on the challenge of explaining their circumstances to audiences, donors and partners, not to seek sympathy, but to help others understand what independent journalism requires under conditions of repression.
Visibility, they argued, is not simply about fundraising. It is part of resilience.
No newsroom should experience exile alone
Although participants came from different countries and political contexts, they repeatedly arrived at similar conclusions.
Peer organizations, emergency support groups, trusted lawyers and international networks emerged as invaluable sources of advice, perspective and practical support.
The discussion demonstrated that while every organization experiences exile differently, many of the underlying challenges are remarkably similar.
Five lessons at a glance
- Start planning before repression escalates.
- Prepare for exile as if it may last years.
- Support people, not only organizations.
- Leadership also needs support.
- Build trusted networks before you need them.
By bringing these experiences together, participants transformed individual experience into collective knowledge that may help the next newsroom facing exile begin its journey with greater preparation and less isolation. This is what the NEMO Community is about. Interested in joining? Reach out to us at info@exiled.media.
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This article was written with the assistance of AI. NEMO journalists remain responsible for accuracy, voice, and final edits.