‘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 on how female journalists are still reporting the news In November 2020, I decided to create an Afghan news agency run by and for women—an online news service that would counter the prevailing patriarchal norms of Afghanistan. The news…
Afghanistan’s media faces crisis—and opportunity
Twelve months after the Taliban takeover, many Afghan journalists are out of work or on the run. Others try, very carefully, to challenge the powerful. The extreme distress that has gripped Afghanistan’s independent media since the Taliban seized power in Kabul on August 15 last year lands in my inbox—and the inboxes of many of…
At least 8 journalists killed in Afghanistan bomb attack
Washington, D.C., April 30, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemned today’s double suicide bombing attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, in which at least 25 people were killed, including at least eight journalists, according to media reports. The second blast, about 30 minutes after the first, appeared targeted at journalists who arrived to cover the first…
New York Times reporter barred from leaving Afghanistan
New York, August 19, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports today that Afghan authorities have banned New York Times correspondent Matthew Rosenberg from leaving the country, according to news reports. Rosenberg is based in Kabul and Washington. His most recent story, published on Monday, alleged that some Afghan officials were threatening to…
Afghan journalist among those dead in Kabul attack
New York, March 21, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply saddened by an attack on Thursday night in Afghanistan in which Sardar Ahmad, a senior reporter for Agence France-Presse’s Kabul bureau, was killed. Four gunmen stormed the Serena Hotel in Kabul during Nowruz celebrations, which marks the start of the Afghan and Persian new…
British-Swedish journalist shot dead in Afghan capital
New York, March 11, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today’s fatal shooting of an international journalist in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and calls on authorities to ensure the perpetrators are held responsible. The shooting comes amid mounting risks for foreigners in Kabul. Two unidentified men approached Nils Horner, 51, in Kabul’s diplomatic district this morning,…
Afghan Journalists Steadfast as International Withdrawal Approaches
As they look toward the next era of uncertainty, reporters in Afghanistan express a sense of determination to build on what they have achieved. By Bob Dietz An Afghan man marks his application for voter registration in Kabul, Afghanistan, on September 16, 2013. Journalists’ future may hinge on the presidential election scheduled for April 2014.…
Afghan journalists in good hands–their own
I’ve been making the rounds of journalists and organizations in Kabul for the last several days. As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been asked to come up with a support plan for journalists after next year’s presidential elections, the drawdown of international troops, and an expected reduction in international aid.
Getting ready for contingencies in Afghanistan
Considering the worst-case scenarios for post-2014 Afghanistan, international news agencies should start planning a range of assistance responses for locally hired journalists and media staff. By the end of 2014, NATO troops will have largely withdrawn and the Karzai government will make way for a new administration. If the situation becomes chaotic, Afghans working for…
French photographer escapes captors in Afghanistan
New York, April 8, 2013–Pierre Borghi, a French photographer who was abducted in Kabul more than four months ago, has escaped his captors, according to news reports citing the Afghan government. Borghi’s disappearance had not been made public in 2012 at the request of the French authorities who were trying to secure the journalist’s release.