Jinn is a Berlin-based hub for exile media and cross-border cooperation.
Support for Journalists in Need and Exiled Media
Founded in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Jinn (Journalists in Need Network) is dedicated to countering Russian disinformation by supporting independent journalists at risk, strengthening media in exile, and fostering cross-border collaboration. Support is offered through personalized consultancy, fellowships, funding opportunities, and infrastructure assistance both in Berlin and internationally.
Fostering Media Collaboration and Cross-Border Investigations
Through targeted trainings, networking, fellowships, and mentorship, Jinn equips journalists with the tools and resources needed to pursue collaborative journalism, data-driven projects, and in-depth investigative reporting across borders.
Advocating for Independent Journalism and Decolonial Media
In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the rise of fascist ideologies in Europe and North America, we advocate for independent journalism and the protection of journalists at risk. We call for greater support for exiled journalists in Germany, investigative reporters, and the amplification of marginalized and indigenous voices in the media.
Novaya Investigative Lab
How do you find the right hook for your investigation? What tools can help you analyze and visualize data for your story? How do you pitch your project to an international media partner? Where can you find funding for a media fellowship? And what forms of international collaboration can truly elevate your investigation?
Novaya Investigative Lab is a training and fellowship programme designed to support journalists from Armenia, Moldova, and Russia in answering these questions—and more. The programme enables participants to publish impactful investigations in collaboration with investigative teams and media outlets from Germany and Eastern Partnership countries.
The programme combines in-person and online training sessions, consulting, pitching and mentorship support covering investigative methodologies, OSINT techniques, and best practices in cross-border journalism. Since 2023, participants develop and refine their project ideas, receive ongoing mentorship, explore international collaboration opportunities, and be awarded a media fellowship.
Novaya Investigative Lab is organized by Jinn in partnership with Novaya Gazeta Europe and is financially supported by German Federal Foreign Office.
For more details, contact us team@jinn-media.org
United Against Disinformation in Russia
Russia continues to manipulate public opinion both domestically and internationally by spreading disinformation targeting liberal democracies and marginalized groups. Since the onset of the full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, the Kremlin has forced the shutdown of independent media outlets and driven journalists into exile. In parallel, it has intensified the dissemination of propaganda through state-controlled media, pro-Russian platforms, official social media accounts, and aligned influencers both within and outside of Russia.
In response to these developments, Jinn provided in 2022 and 2023 emergency support, capacity building to Russian journalists in Germany and other countries, and launched in 2024 the programme “United Against Disinformation in Russia”. The initiative brings together exiled Russian journalists and independent media actors to counter censorship and Kremlin propaganda by strengthening collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovative content strategies.
The collaborative platform aims to reinforce the resilience of Russian independent media during the ongoing war and to push back against disinformation within the Russian-speaking media ecosystem. The project enhances the capacities of exiled journalists through financial support, thematic workshops, networking events, and training sessions—including seminars focused on mental health and resilience. It also encourages cross-border cooperation among investigative journalists, podcasters, fact-checkers, and reporters, laying the groundwork for new joint media initiatives.
The project is implemented by Jinn and is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.
For more details, contact us team@jinn-media.org
Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI)
The Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI) empowers independent media outlets and individual journalists by providing essential resources, innovative networking infrastructure, and standards-based methodologies. The initiative fosters high-quality, ethical, and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism, creating an enabling environment in which established newsrooms can thrive and new media start-ups can emerge and succeed.
Currently in its second edition (2023–2025), CIJI supports journalists across the European Union, EU candidate countries, and journalists originally from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia who now legally reside in the EU due to the war in Ukraine or media repression in their home countries.
The programme is implemented through a strong partnership between Tactical Tech (TT), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Fundacja Reporterów (FR), OBC Transeuropa (OBCT), and Delfi, working together to build a network-based initiative that promotes ethical standards in journalism. CIJI offers targeted training, capacity-building opportunities, and a collaborative space for peer exchange and support. This project is co-funded by the European Union. Read more on CIJI webpage.
Cross-Border Collaboration in and beyond Media Hub in Berlin
Jinn acts as one of three regional media hubs within CIJI, offering its platform and resources to Berlin-based journalists and EU based members of Jinn’s investigative network. Through CIJI, Jinn provides access to fellowships, mentoring, training sessions, and strengthens media collaboration.
In 2025, Jinn’s training programme highlights methodologies and recent cases in cross-border investigative reporting, featuring leading data researchers and investigative teams from Süddeutsche Zeitung, iStories, and Correctiv.
More details and registration.
Exile Media Hub Berlin
The Exile Media Hub Berlin is a dedicated support and workspace initiative for foreign media professionals and exiled newsrooms. Located in the heart of Berlin, the Hub offers a flexible, well-equipped environment featuring coworking spaces, training rooms, meeting areas, and a pop-up studio for high-quality audio and video production.
In addition to essential infrastructure for journalistic work, the Hub provides tailored services including language courses, workshops on finance and project management, and personalized consultations. Our goal is to empower journalists in exile—freelancers, independent reporters, and media organizations alike—by offering them the tools, knowledge, and space they need to continue their work safely and effectively.
From 2022 to 2024, Jinn supported exiled journalists—particularly from Belarus and Russia—through emergency funding, residencies, trainings, and individual consulting at the Exile Media Hub Berlin. This work was made possible in part by JX Fund and with financial support from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media in 2023.
Due to cuts in public funding in 2024, the Exile Media Hub was forced to scale back its programming. As of now, we are not accepting new residency applications and are offering limited consulting and support to a small number of foreign journalists currently based in Berlin.
We are actively working toward reopening the Hub space and calling on the German government to expand its support for independent media worldwide and for foreign journalists at risk in Germany. Together with Reporters Without Borders, n-ost, and other media organizations, we have issued an open letter urging greater commitment to press freedom and media safety.
Contact us if you would like more information or are interested in collaborating on the future of the Exile Media Hub Berlin, via team@jinn-media.org.
NEXUS
Central and Northeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Balkans
NEXUS is a cross-border initiative designed to investigate and to counter the Kremlin’s malign influence across the world. In the face of increasing disinformation campaigns, economic coercion, political interference, and the deployment of private military actors, NEXUS empowers journalists and civil society actors to uncover and expose these tactics through investigative reporting and strategic collaboration.
Led by the International Republican Institute (IRI) and Berlin-based NGO Journalists in Need Network (Jinn), the programme provided comprehensive support to journalists and media professionals in 2023–2024, with activities including: On-the-ground trainings in Tirana, Sarajevo, Ulaanbaatar, and Nairobi, mentorship and editorial support, fellowships for investigative reporting and media production, awareness-raising campaigns and cross-sector networking.
Participants included investigative reporters, content creators, and civil society representatives from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Balkans, who worked to produce impactful stories exposing foreign influence, corruption, and disinformation.
The second phase of NEXUS is currently in planning and is scheduled to launch in 2025–2026, with an expanded network and renewed focus on cross-regional collaboration and accountability journalism.
For partnership inquiries or further information, please contact us, via team@jinn-media.org.
© jinn gGmbH, 2024
