Over 200 media outlets close down in Afghanistan since Taliban takeover: Report

Kabul: Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, more than 200 media outlets have shut down, with many of these closures being attributed to financial issues they faced due to the ongoing economic crisis, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

The Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) in its latest findings revealed that more than 200 cases of violence and arrests involving journalists were recorded in the country. As per the news report, 13 journalists in Afghanistan continue to remain imprisoned. 

According to AIJA findings, over 7,000 media professionals, including many women lost their jobs, forcing many to seek overseas opportunities, Khaama Press reported. The trend has overshadowed the media industry in Afghanistan as the once-vibrant workforce is uprooted and dispersed due to the changing political circumstances. 
The departure of these skilled professionals showcases loss to the domestic media industry and sparks concerns regarding the diversity of voices and views that have been a hallmark of a thriving media ecosystem, according to the report. 

Hujatullah Mujadidi, head of the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association, said, "Before the victory of the Islamic Emirate, we had 600 media outlets in Afghanistan, of which 213 media outlets are currently closed; most of them were print media outlets," Khaama Press reported. 
Mujadidi stated, "We have 13 or 12 journalists under arrest, one of whom is [Afghan-French journalist Morteza] Behboodi; another one [is in custody], but his media [employer] has not confirmed his employment; and eight other people who were arrested in the last two or three days."
Many journalists have said that media restrictions and a lack of timely information from Taliban-led government institutions have resulted in making the work conditions challenging for them. They stressed that the recent arrests of several journalists by the Taliban have sparked fear and despair among the media persons.
Earlier this month, a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) revealed that more than 80 per cent of the female journalists in Afghanistan have been forced to leave their work since the Taliban takeover, Khaama Press reported.

RSF, in their report titled ‘2 Years of Journalism under the Taliban Regime’, has revealed that over 80 per cent of Afghanistan’s female journalists have been forced to halt their work since the ominous date of August 15, 2021.
According to the report, of the roughly 12,000 male and female journalists that Afghanistan had in 2021, “more than two-thirds have abandoned the profession, and the media have been decimated in the past two years.”

The report also highlights that over 50 per cent of the 547 media outlets registered in 2021 have subsequently vanished, Khaama Press reported. The RSF’s report revealed that among the 307 radio stations, merely 170 are actively broadcasting. Furthermore, the count of news agencies has reduced from 31 to 18 within the past two years.