Latest News
40% of Afghan media have closed, 80% of women journalists lost their jobs
A survey by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) has found a radical change in the Afghan media landscape since the takeover by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
According to a report on the RSF website, a total of 231 media outlets have closed and more than 6,400 journalists have lost their jobs since 15 August.
Women journalists have been hit hardest, with four out of five no longer working, the report stated.
More than four out of every ten media outlets have disappeared and 60% of journalists and media employees are no longer able to work.
According to the RSF report, of the 543 media outlets tallied in Afghanistan at the start of the summer, only 312 were still operating at the end of November.
This means that 43% of Afghan media outlets disappeared in the space of three months.
The central Kabul region, which had more media than anywhere else, has not been spared. It has lost more than one of every two media outlets (51%). Of the 148 tallied prior to 15 August, only 72 are still operating.
RSF reported that the closure or reduction in the activities of media outlets has had a major impact on employment in the media sector. Of the 10,790 people working in the Afghan media (8,290 men and 2,490 women) at the start of August, only 4,360 (3,950 men and 410 women) – or four out of every ten media workers – were still working when this survey was carried out.
RSF attributed this change in part to new regulations issued by the IEA.
The rules require journalists to tell information and culture ministry officials what they would like to cover, get their permission to go ahead and finally inform them about the results of their reporting in order to be able to publish.
“There is an urgent need to rein in the spiral leading inevitably to the disappearance of Afghan media and to ensure that respect for press freedom is a priority,” said Reza Moini, the head of RSF’s Iran-Afghanistan desk.
“Journalists’ safety, the fate of women journalists, media legislation and the right of access to news and information are all crucial issues that the authorities must address without delay. Without a free press capable of exposing bad governance’s failings, no one will be able to claim that they are combatting famine, poverty, corruption, drug trafficking and the other scourges that afflict Afghanistan and prevent a lasting peace.”
IEA spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told RSF that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan supports “freedom for the media in the defined framework for preserving the country’s higher interests, with respect for the Sharia and Islam.” He also said that the government wanted to “help those media that are operating to continue to do so, and help the others to find solutions so that they can resume operating.”
Aside from new rules, media owners have to cope with new economic constraints. Many media outlets were receiving national and international funding that ended when the IEA seized control.
“These subsidies, which came above all from countries that had a military presence in Afghanistan and which had an interest in providing them, have now ended,” said Mujahid.
Recognizing the disappearance of many media outlets, Mujahid noted that many media “executives and managers had fled the country.”
This had contributed to the “collapse” of their media outlets, he said.
Latest News
Badakhshan Governor, Army Chief reaffirm commitment to Afghanistan’s security
The Badakhshan governor also urged everyone to encourage opposition groups not to destabilize the country and to appreciate the current security situation.
Badakhshan Governor Mohammad Ismail Ghaznavi said during a public gathering that no individual or group would be allowed to threaten Afghanistan’s security.
Ghaznavi called on opposition groups to stop their disruptive activities and refrain from threatening the security of the country’s citizens. He also addressed the opposition, saying: “What did you achieve during the past twenty years when NATO and U.S. forces were supporting you? We know well how to suppress and fight you, and your dream of taking control of the country may be buried with you.”
The Badakhshan governor also urged everyone to encourage opposition groups not to destabilize the country and to appreciate the current security situation. He said: “Our country needs reconstruction. How long should there be war? Anyone who has a problem should come forward; the doors of the Islamic Emirate are open to them.”
He concluded by saying there is no need for anyone to create disturbances against the Islamic system.
Meanwhile, Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Army Staff of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, stressed during a visit to Zebak district of Badakhshan province that security forces will not allow any individual or group to disrupt Afghanistan’s security.
Fitrat, who traveled to Zebak to assess the security situation, said Pakistan had supported some opponents of the Islamic Emirate, but they were defeated by the resistance of the Islamic Emirate’s forces. Following the recent clash in the Topkhana–Chitral area, he announced that security forces are fully prepared to defend the country’s borders and warned that any attempt to create insecurity would be met with a decisive response.
According to sources, during the recent clash between security forces and an armed group attempting to enter Zebak from the Shah Salim area of Chitral, at least five people were killed, several others fled to Pakistan, and Commander Marouf, described as a key commander of the Freedom Front, was killed during the clash and the subsequent pursuit operation by security forces.
Latest News
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan reaffirm commitment to expanding agricultural cooperation in Bamyan
For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Khodjayev reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to continuing cooperation with Afghanistan, pledging support for investment.
The Governor of Bamyan province and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Jamshid Khodjayev, have emphasized the importance of expanding economic cooperation, promoting sustainable agriculture, and attracting investment during a meeting in Kabul.
According to the Bamyan Provincial Media Office, the two sides discussed agricultural mechanization, the transfer of technical expertise, the development of the potato industry, and support for local farmers. The governor expressed appreciation for Uzbekistan’s continued cooperation and called for sustained support for agricultural and development projects in Bamyan.
For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Khodjayev reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to continuing cooperation with Afghanistan, pledging support for investment, strengthening production capacities, and further developing the agricultural sector in Bamyan province.
Latest News
Uzbekistan delegation arrives in Kabul to attend trade forum
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce has announced that a high-level delegation from Uzbekistan, comprising government officials and private sector representatives, led by Jamshid Khojaev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, arrived in Kabul on Saturday.
According to the ministry’s statement, the delegation was welcomed at Kabul International Airport by Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce added that the purpose of the Uzbek delegation’s visit to Kabul is to hold meetings and discussions with officials of the Islamic Emirate and representatives of Afghanistan’s private sector, as well as to participate in the trade forum.
-
Latest News4 days agoGermany defends Afghan deportation policy after fatal Trier knife attack
-
Sport4 days agoFIFA updates world rankings; Spain climbs to No. 1, Afghanistan ranked 171st
-
Latest News4 days agoAfghanistan and Uzbekistan advance railway cooperation, discuss Trans-Afghan project
-
Latest News5 days agoIndia says UN sanctions on Afghanistan no longer effective
-
World4 days agoWar in Iran has cost the US $37.5 billion so far, Pentagon says
-
Latest News4 days agoAmnesty International calls for probe into Pakistan airstrike on Kabul rehabilitation centre
-
Business3 days agoPakistan’s trade deficit with neighbours surges to nearly $16 billion as exports to Afghanistan plunge
-
Sport4 days agoRahmat Shah Zurmati appointed Afghanistan’s new Test and ODI captain
