No media freedom without the safety of journalists: DW Akademie and IPLEX support exiled journalists in Costa Rica

On August 12, 2024, the official opening of Casa para el Periodismo Libre (in English: House for Free Journalism) was held in the Museo Nacional, San José, Costa Rica. Natascha Schwanke, DW Akademie’s director of media development, attended the opening, as did Daniel Kriener, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Costa Rica, along with others from the media and political sphere.   

Casa para el Periodismo Libre is a Space for Freedom project of DW Akademie and part of the Hannah Arendt Initiative, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. The Hannah Arendt Initiative is a program of the German Federal Government for the protection of media professionals in crisis and conflict areas. 

Ambassador Kriener thanked Costa Rica for offering persecuted journalists refuge with its strong democratic traditions and rule of law-based institutions.

Daniel Kriener, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Costa Rica: "It is thanks to Costa Rica's commitment to the protection of human rights and media freedom that the German government, together with DW Akademie and IPLEX as partners, was able to establish a center for free journalism." 

Natascha Schwanke, director of media development, DW Akademie: "Media freedom starts with the safety of journalists – not only physical safety but also financial, psychological, digital and legal safety. Under the roof of Casa para el Periodismo Libre, exiled journalists literally find a safe space – as well as training opportunities. This is often the key to continue reporting freely on issues that are important to their societies." 

Raúl Silesky Jiménez, president and co-founder of IPLEX: "We firmly believe that journalists seeking refuge in Costa Rica must be supported so that they can continue to carry out their important work. For us, this is a commitment to democracy and an act of active solidarity."  

Supporting media professionals to ensure independent journalism in Central America 

In Central America, free press is under threat. Government leaders, politicians and organized crime agents put extreme pressure on journalists. 

In Nicaragua, for instance, many media professionals have been imprisoned while others have been stripped of their nationality. The regime has closed numerous media outlets, resulting in at least 263 journalists, communicators, editors and other media workers leaving the country since 2018, according to Fundación para la Libertad de Expresión y Democracia. More than half of them are currently taking refuge in Costa Rica.  

In Guatemala, the justice system threatens and persecutes critical journalists, sometimes even for personal posts on social networks, while in El Salvador authoritarian tendencies force even established media into exile.  

Costa Rica has become a place of refuge in the region. The strong institutional framework allows for many journalists to work from the country, but also poses new challenges. These can be overcome with coordinated safety strategies. 

Under the roof of Casa para el Periodismo Libre, journalists in exile can access a space for coexistence and exchange; training offers for professional growth and support in legal, psychosocial, economic and personal safety; and journalism scholarships that include equipment for multimedia creation. The initiative will bundle and precisely tailor existing offers for at-risk media professionals. 

The Casa para el Periodismo Libre already has several strategic partners in the region, among them international organizations such as UNESCO and academic institutions such as the University of Costa Rica (UCR).  

Our partner in Costa Rica 

The Instituto de Prensa y Libertad de Expresión (IPLEX) is a non-profit association that promotes freedom of expression and access to public information in Central America. IPLEX promotes ethics, independence and plurality in the practice of journalism and the media. It also conducts research, training and publications to improve laws and practices related to these rights. Its mission is focused on Costa Rica, but it also aims to influence the development of these principles in the Central American region and to support the efforts of related organizations in other areas.   

Hannah Arendt Initiative: A network to protect media workers 

In October 2022, the German Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) launched the Hannah Arendt Initiative, a program dedicated to the protection of journalists under threat. This network of civil society organizations supports journalists and media workers from crisis and conflict zones with, for example, fellowships, training opportunities and consultations. Along with DW Akademie, partners of the initiative include the European Fund for Journalism in Exile (JX Fund), Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF). 

DW Akademie is involved in the Hannah Arendt Initiative with the Space for Freedom project. The project supports refugee media professionals from Afghanistan, Belarus and Russia, to encourage independent journalism from exile. Since 2024, the project has also provided support for journalists at risk in Central America. 

DW Akademie 

DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle's center for international media development, journalism training and knowledge transfer. Our projects strengthen the human right to freedom of expression and unhindered access to information. DW Akademie empowers people worldwide to make independent decisions based on reliable facts and constructive dialogue.  

DW Akademie is a strategic partner of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). We also receive funding from the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union and are active in about 70 developing countries and emerging economies. 

Press contact: 

DW (Deutsche Welle): 

Carla Hagemann, Corporate Communications / carla.hagemann@dw.com / +49.30.4646.8197