JournalismPakistan.com | Published August 31, 2012 | Rooh-ul-Amin
Join our WhatsApp channel
KABUL: Every year ‘Press Freedom Day’ is observed all over the world and challenges faced by the journalist community are highlighted. The day is observed in Afghanistan as well.
Nevertheless, the press in this war-wracked country is not what it should have been. There are a number of reasons that the press in Afghanistan is weak and this is the result of the dictatorial mindset of its officialdom, lack of knowledge and awareness as well as certain cultural and traditional restraints because of which one cannot report the way one should.
The ongoing war and the dependency of the media on foreign aid and donations too have retarded the development of a free press in Afghanistan.
During the past 10 years, one satisfactory development that has come about is that the media has indeed become a reality with the support of the international community. If this support was held back, journalism in Afghanistan would deteriorate into the sorry state it once was in.
There is no denying that press freedom plays an important role as a catalyst for social and political changes and that in countries where there is no press freedom there is no value of human rights and no accountability of government officials.
However, the dilemma in Afghanistan is that as the withdrawal of foreign troops picks up speed, the future of the media here is uncertain. What makes it even more doubtful is that the Taliban, who from the very outset have been against freedom of speech and freedom of choice, are not showing any signs of changing their outlook. If the Taliban do make a comeback, it would be a serious blow to the hard-earned press freedom in Afghanistan.
But we should be content in the knowledge that Afghanistan has made good progress in the media sector despite 11 years of war and violence. If we look at the incidents of killings and torture of journalists, Afghanistan comes fifth.
Egypt, Syria and Pakistan have topped the list where journalists faced more serious challenges and danger. In Pakistan, one cannot report on the tribal belt, bordering Afghanistan as the Pakistan army has put a ban on access to the area.
In Afghanistan, however, there is no area restricted to the media. This does not mean it is not dangerous to do so. In the aforementioned countries, the challenges usually come from both state and non-state actors while here, in Afghanistan, non-state actors are the bigger threat. This does not mean there is an absence of hurdles created by state actors.
With 11 years of foreign troops in Afghanistan, the killing of journalists has witnessed sharp increase. In 2011, four reporters were killed in Kabul, Urozgan, Hera and Laghman while an ISAF soldier killed a reporter in Trinkot city.
Besides these killings, land mines have caused the death of two reporters in Herat and Mehtarlam cities.
Despite these obvious hazards, journalists in Afghanistan are making good headway and continue to surprise. Their daring reports are worth appreciating despite constant self-censorship due to pressure and threats from influential government officials, land grabbers and smugglers.
We have learnt through media reports that reporters in Northern Afghanistan consider corruption and government land seizure the two most difficult issues to report on.
There are also a number of problems created for journalists by media owners, with lack of work, security and lack of insurance topping the list.
Such challenges need to be overcome. The government has to ensure access to information as it is from here that press freedom takes a start in the real sense. Without access to information the claim of press freedom is just a slogan.
Once the government ensures access to information, other challenges would give way and there would be a new era of change and development for freedom of speech. Until there are challenges created by government officials, the media cannot overcome the challenges created by non-state actors.
(The writer is a Kabul-based journalist. He writes for English newspapers in Kabul and Peshawar. He is also a documentary filmmaker and can be reached at: [email protected])
May 19, 2025: PJS reports 219 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, with 30 women among the victims. Over 430 were injured and 685 family members were killed. Read more on the systematic targeting of media in Gaza.
May 04, 2025: Algerian authorities suspend Echorouk News TV for 10 days after it used a racist slur against African migrants. ANIRA demands an apology, calling it a violation of human dignity.
April 21, 2025: An Italian newspaper, Il Foglio, successfully published a month-long AI-written insert and praised its irony and analytical abilities, while affirming that AI will complement—not replace—quality journalism.
March 29, 2025: A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025: Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.
March 25, 2025: Turkish authorities must release detained journalists covering protests and end press crackdowns. CPJ condemns police violence and home raids targeting media workers.
March 16, 2025: The Trump administration has ordered furloughs at U.S.-funded broadcasters, including Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia, raising concerns about press freedom and government control over media funding.
March 08, 2025: Senior UK TV producers are taking shelf-stacking and pub jobs as the industry faces a prolonged crisis. Thousands are unemployed, with freelancers struggling to find work. Learn more about the factors behind this collapse.
June 11, 2025 Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.
June 11, 2025 Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.
May 31, 2025 Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025 The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025 The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.