Journalism in Exile

Prof. M Zahidul Haque

Prof. M Zahidul Haque

Nowadays it is frequently urged for ensuring protection and security for the journalists. The society in general is quite conscious about the dire need for offering security to journalists so that they can discharge their professional duties and responsibilities without any threat or pressure and live peacefully in the society like other citizens.

This author is, however, skeptic about the scope for providing a total security to the working journalists, particularly to those who are doing investigative and political journalism. Of course, this author firmly believes that only a truly democratic society can provide such protection and security to the Journalists allowing them to uphold their professional integrity—the unshakable commitment to honesty, fairness, and responsibility, even under pressure or personal risk.

In this article, this author would like to raise some points pertaining to the issue of journalism in exile. The growing scale of journalists who are silenced or driven out of the country—whether by authoritarian regimes, violence, or war is increasing? In May 2024, the BBC revealed that around 310 of its World Service journalists—about 15% of the total—were working in exile. Numbers nearly doubled since 2020, driven by crackdowns in countries.

Until and unless there are better press freedoms and protections for journalists around the world, the exile journalism will keep growing.

Meanwhile, this author was deeply touched and pained to recently going through the true stories of two journalists in exile which moved him to compose the following short verse dedicated to their sufferings and courage:

Journalist in Exile

I lost my newsroom,

but not my voice.

I write from borrowed rooms,

sending truth across borders

I can’t cross.

Even in exile—

I am still a journalist!

(Prof. M Zahidul Haque is currently an Adjunct Faculty for Agri Journalism at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka)