The Network of Exiled Media Outlets (NEMO) is proud to join in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Zamaneh Media and its flagship independent journalism platform, Radio Zamaneh, which serves audiences in Iran and diaspora communities worldwide. On December 16, Zamaneh’s team will commemorate this milestone with a donation campaign, and by sharing highlights of their work on their website.
Zamaneh’s anniversary marks two decades since a group of Iranian journalists and activists in the Netherlands set out to build an independent Persian-language newsroom outside Iran. Their goal was to create a platform capable of delivering accurate, uncensored reporting to people inside the country at a time when space for free expression was rapidly shrinking.
Twenty years later, Zamaneh stands as one of the most enduring and influential exiled media outlets serving Iran. As a founding and core member of the Network of Exiled Media Outlets (NEMO), it continues to demonstrate how journalism in exile can sustain public debate, foster accountability, and reach millions of citizens despite censorship, intimidation, and state repression.
A newsroom shaped by exile
What began as Radio Zamaneh in 2005 has since evolved into a multi-platform media organization that produces news articles, investigations, in-depth analysis, educational activities, citizen reporting, online petitioning as well as anti-censorship projects. Although based in the Netherlands, the newsroom’s work is deeply connected to Iran’s social, political, and human-rights landscape.
Over the years, Zamaneh has built a distributed network of journalists, freelancers, and contributors. Today, 70% of Zamaneh’s audience remains inside the country, often accessing its reporting through VPNs, mirror sites, and other censorship-circumvention tools. This makes Zamaneh not only a newsroom in exile, but a critical information bridge for citizens facing State-controlled media at home.
Centering the voices the State tries to silence
From its earliest years, Zamaneh committed itself to amplifying voices often erased or ignored in Iran’s media environment. Its coverage has long focused on women, workers, queer communities, ethnic and religious minorities, environmental advocates, political prisoners, and other groups targeted by discrimination or repression.
This focus became especially visible during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests of 2022. As demonstrations spread across the country, Zamaneh’s reporting and live coverage became an essential resource for understanding the movement’s scale, demands, and human impact. Audience numbers surged. So did pressure on the newsroom.
Zamaneh’s staff and contributors have been repeatedly targeted by cyberattacks, phishing attempts, online harassment, and intimidation of family members inside Iran. The outlet has been blocked, sanctioned, and publicly vilified by Iranian authorities. Yet its editorial mission has remained firm: to provide independent reporting that supports public understanding and human rights.
Innovation driven by necessity
Operating in exile forced Zamaneh to innovate early and continuously. The outlet built secure reporting channels, launched Zamaneh Tribune to amplify citizen journalism, and developed online learning programs that have trained thousands of Iranians in journalism, multimedia storytelling, and digital security.
These innovations were —as with everything in exile— survival strategies. They helped Zamaneh navigate digital repression, reach audiences behind censorship walls, and build relationships with contributors who often face severe personal risks.
The result is a newsroom that has not only adapted to exile but has shaped new models for how exiled media can operate securely.
A founding member of NEMO
Along with Meydan TV, Meduza, Confidencial and the Democratic Voice of Burma, Zamaneh Media co-founded the Network of Exiled Media Outlets (NEMO) in 2022. Since then, it has helped shape the network’s early vision. Its experience — from digital security threats to editorial decision-making under pressure — continues to inform discussions across the network about safety, collaboration, and the realities of working in exile.
For many exiled outlets, Zamaneh’s journey over the last twenty years serves as a reference point: a reminder that journalism forced across borders can still remain deeply connected to its audience and highly influential in shaping public debate.
Looking ahead: resilience and independence
Reaching a 20-year milestone as an independent newsroom in exile is an achievement in itself. Reaching it while continuing to grow, innovate, and serve citizens in one of the world’s most repressive media environments, is far more significant.
Zamaneh’s anniversary campaign captures this spirit through three words: truth, trust, solidarity.
These principles have guided the outlet’s work for two decades — and they remain essential as Iran faces deepening restrictions on information and public expression.
As NEMO celebrates this milestone with Zamaneh, we also acknowledge the broader message it represents: independent journalism doesn’t disappear when forced to operate from exile. It rebuilds, adapts, and endures. Zamaneh’s 20 years stand as proof of that.
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This article was written with the assistance of AI. Our journalists remain responsible for accuracy, voice, and final edits.