One year after the Taliban takeover
Published August 11, 2022
The Taliban’s August 2021 takeback of power in Afghanistan has had a devastating effect on the vibrant media landscape that developed after the U.S.-led invasion 20 years earlier. Between censorship, arrests, assaults, restrictions on women journalists, the flight of experienced reporters, and the country’s declining economy, Afghan media are struggling to survive. Yet in spite of these challenges, CPJ’s interviews with numerous Afghan journalists and media experts show glimmers of hope amid the difficulties. Afghan journalists are finding ways to keep covering the news–either from inside the country or from their places of exile.
Read CPJ’s recommendations for protecting journalists and press freedom in Afghanistan here.
The recommendations are also available in فارسی ,العربية, and پښتو.
Afghanistan’s media faces crisis—and opportunity
* Watch CPJ’s ‘One year later’ video
Inside an Afghan news network’s struggle to survive
Threats, insults, beatings and censorship: Former Ariana News staffers detail dire challenges during a year under Taliban control.
By Waliullah Rahmani
Available in:
Keeping hope alive
‘I thought about the efforts and struggles of two decades… and cried.’
The founder of a news agency dedicated to covering the lives and concerns of Afghan women tells her story.
By Zahra Joya
Available in:
Watch CPJ’s video about the pressures on women journalists
Opinion: Courageous journalism is happening in Afghanistan. How we can help.
