Independent exiled media are among the most innovative publishers in the world, yet the gap between propaganda budgets and media funding is enormous. In a new piece, we summarise insights from a major report on exiled independent media worldwide, published by JX Fund w/ The Fix Research and Advisory

As AI chatbots increasingly influence content engagement, publishers must adapt their strategies to enhance AI visibility. In this exclusive article for our paid members, @romainchauvet.bsky.social outlines eight practical steps, drawn from a recent report, to help achieve this.

In the latest episode of our FixEd podcast, our journalist @verosnoj.bsky.social speaks with Sonja Merljak Zdovc, the editor-in-chief of Časoris, a Slovenian newspaper targeting primary school children, launched over a decade ago.

New from The Fix – @dennikn.bsky.social has a sophisticated newsletter strategy that combines the use of newsletters for both subscriber acquisition and retention. David Tvrdon did a deep dive on how Denník N’s newsletter operation works and what other publishers can learn from it.

Most media organisations think their biggest challenge is getting people to pay. But the real problem starts earlier: if your audience doesn't see the value, the business model doesn't matter.

Hungary’s media scene will change now that Orbán is gone, with more press freedom and media-friendly politicians. Questions remain, such as whether independent media will lose audience support and how journalists will adapt. We spoke with Hungarian journalists and media leaders to learn more.

As AI chatbots play a major role in content consumption, how can publishers optimise their coverage for greater AI discoverability? For this article, available to our paid members, @romainchauvet.bsky.social gathered eight actionable steps from a recent report by the Spanish Fundación Luca de Tena.

For years, Viktor Orbán tried to silence Hungary's critical media. In the end, independent journalism outlasted him.

Traffic feels good, but retention pays the bills. In our latest Media Management & Educational Series video, Alina from The Fix Research & Advisory argues that "more reach" isn't a strategy—it's a distraction from the real task: figuring out why people actually show up. Watch now for more insights👇

Hungary’s media landscape will obviously change now that Orbán is out of power. Some of the changes are fairly obvious – more press freedom, more media-friendly politicians. Some questions are more complex.

To survive the next wave of the AI transition, attendees at the 2026 International Journalism Festival in Perugia learned how newsrooms will have to work with, and for, AI agents. Here’s a look at the most interesting insights.

With Hungary officially getting a new PM this week, we’ve looked at how the independent press helped investigate and bring down Viktor Orbán’s grip on power. The Fix’s Alessandro Pilo recaps the biggest stories from 444, @telexhu.bsky.social, @direkt36.bsky.social, @hvghu.bsky.social, and Partizán.

New from The Fix: What’s next for AI reshaping journalism? Christoph Schwaiger summarised the conversations about AI at the @journalismfestival.com in Perugia – the impact of agents, the journalist’s new role, and how publishers should collaborate.

At @journalismfestival.com, some of the conversation angles stood out more than others. Here are our three reflections for media leaders: the funding floor has collapsed, every publisher now needs a position on which subsidies they’ll accept & the journalism guild is still mostly talking to itself.

New from The Fix – Aizhan Kazakbaeva’s three reflections from the 2026 @journalismfestival.com in Perugia: the funding floor has collapsed, every publisher now needs a position on which subsidies they’ll accept, and the journalism guild is still mostly talking to itself.

Since 2020, Poland has become home to a large Belarusian diaspora, creating a growing need for media that can explain the complexities of their new home.

In the latest episode of our FixEd podcast, senior editor Anton Protsiuk sits down with @clarasoteras.com, a leading expert in SEO for news publishers, to explore how search is evolving in the age of AI.

New from The Fix: Veronica Snoj spoke with Novosti-26, an independent media outlet for Russian teenagers that explains the world around them – which, in today's Russia, means making sense of the invasion of Ukraine and its impact on their lives.

War and crises dominate the headlines, but many readers are tuning out. To fight news fatigue, some European publishers are turning to positive news. #ICYMI

Independent media outlets in Russia started offering free tools to bypass censorship, but the range of these tools needs to grow much further, @verosnoj.bsky.social argues.

Viktor Orbán's defeat in the general election has sparked a widespread sense of hope for substantial reforms in media freedom and democratic practices across Hungary. After his 16-year rule, 80% of the media landscape is now controlled by Orbán’s allies.

How can media outlets build sustainable income? The first episode of our Media Management & Educational Series introduces the basics of reader revenue and explains why understanding your audience is key to making it work.

The Guardian, Denník N, Uusi Juttu, and Kyiv Independent look nothing alike, yet their reader-revenue playbooks converge on three shared principles, @davidtvrdon.com writes in his article, breaking down their panel at @journalismfestival.com in Perugia.

For the Hungarian media, Péter Magyar’s victory is a sign of progress. As journalist @veronikamunk.bsky.social points out, the previous government used advertising to manipulate public opinion and made it hard for people to access information. Now, the goal is to rebuild a free and healthy media.

In Perugia, four publishers shared their membership growth playbook – @dennikn.bsky.social’s @tomasbella.bsky.social, @theguardian.com’s Lyz Wynn, @uusijuttu.fi's @anttipikkanen.bsky.social, and @kyivindependent.com’s Zakhar Protsiuk. @davidtvrdon.com recapped the session and picked the key patterns

How does a Ukrainian outlet focusing on war reporting work? Why has frontline coverage become much more dangerous throughout the full-scale war? We spoke with Frontliner's Andrii Dubchak and Yelyzaveta Kovtun about their model and how war reporting has changed over the past couple of years.

Viktor Orbán's crushing defeat in the latest elections has triggered a wave of hope for a major overhaul of media freedom. The Fix’s @romainchauvet.bsky.social spoke with @veronikamunk.bsky.social and @beabodrogi.bsky.social to assess the prospects of a press freedom renaissance in Hungary.

As news anxiety and avoidance become growing challenges for the media industry, the Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet has launched an innovative solution: SvD Kompakt.

What does it take to rebuild local journalism? Anton Protsiuk speaks to Joshi Herrmann, who founded @millmedia.bsky.social 6 years ago and grew it into a network of reader-supported local outlets in the UK. They discuss how Mill Media scaled a reader-funded model by prioritising quality over volume

Most Iranians live cut off from the internet, relying on shortwave radio and Psiphon. In Russia, pager and map sales are surging as Moscow tightens its grip on the open web. We analysed eight autocracies with severe internet restrictions to map the spectrum of digital censorship through shutdowns.

Frontline reporting has changed drastically – and became much more dangerous – throughout Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine. We spoke with Frontliner, a Ukrainian outlet focused on war reporting.

New from The Fix: Two months into Russia’s blocking of the popular messaging app Telegram, independent media outlets try to stay in touch with their audiences by offering free tools to bypass censorship, @verosnoj.bsky.social writes.

New from The Fix – we profiled Frontliner, Ukraine’s outlet that reports on the Russian-Ukrainian war for Ukrainians and the world. Anton Protsiuk spoke with Andrii Dubchak and Yelyzaveta Kovtun about Frontliner’s model and why war reporting has become more dangerous in the past couple of years.

In 2019, six journalists began meeting informally, tired of the isolation and deteriorating working conditions found in traditional Italian newsrooms. From these meetings, the FADA collective was born.

The most dangerous thing a newsroom can do is write exclusively for "middle-aged white guys" because innovation happens when you start listening to the room. From interns to senior editors, every perspective helps capture an increasingly varied audience, says New Eastern Europe's Adam Reichardt.

The most effective leadership training happens on the job. Theoretical education only goes so far in preparing you for the high-stakes reality of a newsroom.

New from The Fix: we analysed eight autocracies with limited internet freedoms and extensive internet shutdowns, from Russia to Myanmar, to understand how censorship works worldwide.

An Italian journalism collective is testing solidarity and mutual support as a way to fight the country's flawed freelance media system.

While foreign journalists request visas to Iran, has Spain's firm 'no to war” stance under PM Pedro Sanchez helped? How do they work there? Is there censorship? How do they operate amid threats of bombing and poor communication? The Fix interviewed Joan Roura, journalist & Middle East expert for TV3

Freelance journalism is a precarious job, particularly in Italy. In his latest piece for The Fix, Alessandro Pilo profiles FADA, a collective that emerged to replace competition with mutual aid.

📰 Last week, we learned how Spanish journalists reported on the ground from Iran, covered the transformation of Ukraine's public broadcaster, and explored how European media outlets turn to positive news.

CNN isn’t the only international outlet to have entered Iran since the start of the war – several Spanish journalists have as well. The Fix’s @romainchauvet.bsky.social interviewed Joan Roura from Catalonia's TV3 about the logistics of getting to Iran, censorship, allegations of bias, and more.

📢 We’ve launched Crisis Leadership Simulation website! For years, we’ve developed a hands-on leadership tool for media teams, used in training, workshops, and programs to turn theory into real decision-making. Now, it has a dedicated site with an overview of its impact 👉 simulation.thefix.media

Donald Trump's sudden shutdown of USAID programs last year impacted many independent outlets worldwide. Russian media, already heavily censored, were no exception. Some continue operating but have little room for maneuver.

New from The Fix: Ukraine’s public broadcaster transitioned from a state-owned company to a leading independent broadcaster within a decade. Hleb Liapeika spoke with a member of its managing board, Dmytro Kozlov, and profiled Suspilne Ukraine.

War and crises dominate the headlines, but many readers are tuning out. To combat news fatigue, some European publishers are turning to positive news.

As crises dominate the headlines, many readers are tuning out. @romainchauvet.bsky.social spoke with @liberation.fr and @theobjective-es.bsky.social, two European media outlets, about their moves to embrace more positive news.

Is it possible to create a free paper newspaper during a crisis? While it may sound paradoxical in today's world, Clément Charles is doing just that in Switzerland. He has recently launched his third hyperlocal newspaper, called La Gazette de Moutier, in the Jura Arc region.

One of the hottest media acquisitions of 2025 happened when Swedish giant Bonnier News became the new majority owner of @zetland.dk, the hyped Danish brand that has gone from nothing to 70,000 paying members in a decade. So, how did it happen?

More than a year after the shutdown of the USAID programs, independent Russian media outlets still operate — but with declining funding, there is less room to launch new projects or experiment with innovative formats.