Building Cross-Border Networks Against Repression

Great energy at our three-day seminar and networking event with journalists from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Russia. Participants spoke about their experience with collaborative projects, the impact of cross-border investigations, and the challenges their countries and independent media are facing. They noted the strong potential for more structured cooperation, including joint investigations, co-publishing, peer learning, shared tools, digital security support, and deeper work on AI algorithms and debunking disinformation.

Across several group discussions with displaced journalists, common threads emerged: exiled reporters remain targets of cyberattacks and (transnational) repressions, yet they continue to stay resilient among the last independent voices from Azerbaijan, Belarus and Russia, providing vital information on sanctions evasion, human rights abuses and disinformation networks. In the crisis year of 2025, funding remains the main obstacle to sustaining high-quality journalistic work. Long-term core support is crucial to protect teams, maintain investigations and prevent burnout.

Many thanks to all participants, and to taz Panter Stiftung Foundation for hosting our networking event in Berlin.

And many more thanks to all participants and to the taz Panter Foundation for hosting our networking event in Berlin.