Exile

The Internet provides new chances and challenges for media in exile. In a country like Uzbekistan for instance with state-controlled media a news-site like www.uznews.net is one of the rare chances to get access to independent information about the country. The uzbek government blocks the site, but it still finds its readership through the use of proxýes and excellent journalistic work. Despite the difficult working conditions there are still independent journalists in Uzbekistan who take the risk to report for Uznews. Therefore Internet-Media in Exile often helps to save independent journalism in their countries. Also exiled journalists are not always forced to leave their profession while abroad, but can continue to make a living as journalists in exile.

Also the example of Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka http://www.jdslanka.org/ shows that the 50 exiled journalists can still give an important input into the debate about the future of Sri Lanka which is heard inside and outside the country. In August 2009 a video on the Website shocked the world: It showed how uniformed men were shooting naked and bound people in Sri Lanka. The news was spread worldwide and even the UN had to deal with this information which appeared on the JDS-Website first.

Moderation:
Gemma Pörzgen
Journalist and a board member of Reporters Without Borders in Germany

Panelists:
Bashana Abeywardane
Journalist, Germany

Galima Bukharbaeva
Chief editor of the independent Uzbek news website uznews.net, Germany