Oct 8 Update from APFF President
This short video introduces the new AFPP "Journalists in Exile" program and what it means to the participants.
Alfred Friendly Press Partners is changing its focus to help journalists meet the growing challenges of a more autocratic world.
Backed by new journalism partnerships and an enthusiastic board, our 40-year-old program held a successful, month-long test program for eleven journalists in June. The fellows’ home countries: Afghanistan, Kashmir, Haiti, El Salvador, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Belarus and Russia.
But one thing was different about the fellows we hosted in 2024. All are exiles who were forced out of their home countries due to threats to their safety.
How did Alfred Friendly Press Partners arrive at this juncture?
The program took the year of 2023 off to re-examine what we were doing. For many years, we’ve brought fellows into the US for a six-month fellowship that included training at the Missouri School of Journalism and a lengthy placement in US newsrooms. We had the longest fellowship of any program in the US.
But circumstances changed significantly over the last decade.
The puzzle facing the program was complex: Some of our fellows in 2022 could not return to their home countries due to the hostility against the press. Many American newsrooms, closed by Covid, were only open a few days per month, making our mentorship program difficult if not impossible.
And, finally, dictatorship is growing at a rapid rate. Many of the world’s countries are now ruled by autocracies unfriendly to journalism.
We do not know the number of exiled journalists who are living in America, but we believe it’s in the thousands. Over 120 journalists, for example, have been forced to leave Nicaragua under the brutal regime of Daniel Ortega, and many of them are in the US.
Our new journalism program is focused on building resiliency and hope with these journalists. They have faced unimaginable violence and threats and need a program like ours to help lift them up and find new purpose.
We give our fellows a comprehensive look at the American legal system – introducing new concepts like open records, open public meetings and the First Amendment. We dive into security, especially how to keep themselves safe and protect friends and family back home. We teach the latest new journalism skills. And we work at helping them start news businesses and build understanding of the business of journalism.
All of this is mixed with psycho/social training to help them get back on their feet as quickly as possible, and to remain in journalism.
We have many people and organizations helping us. Among them: The International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Investigative Reporters and Editors and the ACOS Alliance, an international organization that helps keep freelance journalists safe.
Plus, we use the rich resources of our partner university, the Missouri School of Journalism.
Our new 2024 fellowship group has already had great success. Several have found employment in journalism. One was named foreign journalist of the year. Others are now writing for news organizations which distribute their work in their home countries.
But make no mistake. All suffer from having to leave home. Tears are not infrequent in our training sessions. Everyone would return tomorrow if autocracy died, and democracy was reborn.
Alfred Friendly Press Partners needs your help. Some foundations that previously supported organizations like ours have redirected their efforts to help solve other problems. Many are simply not aware of the exiles among us.
Please join us in helping these journalists bridge this challenging time.