Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 16, 2019 The head of a private radio station in eastern Afghanistan says it was shut down after numerous threats from a Taliban commander in the area who objected to women being employed at the station, while a local official said that a private dispute was behind the incident. Ramez
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 14, 2019 Afghan police say a radio journalist has been killed in the eastern province of Paktia. The body of Nader Shah Sahibzada, a newsreader for Radio Gardez, was found on July 13, a day after he disappeared. Police chief Mohammad Hosman Jahnbaz said it was not immediately clear if
Tolo News: Sahraa Karimi, filmmaker, and director, who was last month appointed as the first female General Director of Afghan Film, the country’s state-run film production company, through a merit-based process conducted at the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission says that she is committed to giving a new life to the production company. Click
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty June 24, 2019 The Taliban have issued a threat to Afghan media, saying journalists will be targeted unless news outlets stop broadcasting what they describe as government propaganda against the militants. In a statement released on June 24, the group gave Afghan radio stations, TV channels, publications and others a week
The Media Line: The Afghan government has appointed the first female director-general for its state-run film production company, Afghan Film Organization (AFO). Sahraa Karimi, 36, is a prominent filmmaker in her own right. She has more than 10 years of experience in the field and has directed more than 30 films. She is the only woman from
Reuters: While some Afghan journalists say its accuracy is patchy, and its opponents accuse it of spreading “fake news”, the Taliban’s slick media operation has emerged as a key weapon in the information war that often leaves the Western-backed government and its U.S. partners struggling to catch up. Click here to read more (external link).
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan May 11, 2019 KABUL — Afghan officials say prominent former television journalist Mena Mangal has been shot dead in Kabul. Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Raimi said Mangal was shot dead in Kabul’s 8th district early on May 11 as she was waiting for a car. Witnesses to the shooting near
Tolo News: Journalists said security threats and lack of access to information are among big challenges for them. An official of Ministry of Information and Culture said that at least 100 media outlets have canceled their licenses over the past two years as the World Press Freedom Day was marked in Kabul on Friday. According to
1TV: The editor-in-chief of 1TV and senior journalist, Abdullah Khenjani, said that he was beaten up and briefly detained by the security guards of President Protective Service (PPS) as he was supposed to attend an off the record discussion at the Government Media Information Center on Monday. Click here to read more (external link). Related Video
Human Rights Watch: The role Afghanistan’s vibrant media plays in public life represents one of the most significant changes that have taken place in the country since 2001. But that achievement is under threat, as journalists face growing intimidation and violence from both state and non-state actors. Click here to read more (external link).