Local private media outlets in Badakhshan report facing a financial crisis and severe repression from the Taliban. The strict regulations and oppressive directives of this group have prompted numerous media organizations in the province to halt their publishing activities. Simultaneously, journalists have withdrawn from their profession due to restricted access to information and escalating threats from the Taliban.
Officials from media organizations in Badakhshan province, expressing concern over the escalating challenges faced by the media, state that before the fall of the previous government, there were 49 private media outlets, including print, visual, and auditory, operating in the province. However, currently, only four radios, two televisions, and one government-owned print media remain active. According to them, during the previous government’s rule, there were 11 radios, three televisions, and 35 print media outlets operating in this province before the Taliban takeover.
Nasrin Azada (pseudonym), the managing director of one of the private media outlets, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that after the Taliban’s control, the dire economic situation and the imposition of harsh restrictions by the group, especially against female journalists, have led to the suspension of their media publications.
Ms. Azada states, “Six years ago, along with some female journalists who were journalism students at Badakhshan University, we launched a weekly publication focusing on women’s rights, publishing news reports. Previously, we could generate income through advertisements and awareness projects, providing salaries for our colleagues.”
Ebrahim Danish (pseudonym), the managing director of a local radio station, shares that through investment and considerable effort, the radio was active in social, cultural, and artistic sectors, particularly in broadcasting and promoting local music. According to him, the radio operated for only two years, and, due to a lack of financial resources after the Taliban takeover, it had to cease its activities.
Abbas Hakimi (pseudonym), the managing director of one of Badakhshan’s private television channels, currently inactive due to Taliban pressures, mentions that in the past, they could publish critical content while maintaining neutrality. However, Taliban interference and lack of access to information have led to the cessation of this media outlet’s activities.
Officials of media outlets in Badakhshan state that their biggest challenge is accessing information, and a culture of providing information to journalists in this province has not been established so far.
Ahmad Elham, one of the local journalists in the province of Badakhshan, says that local media and journalists face challenges in accessing information. He states, “Journalists in Badakhshan are currently facing significant financial difficulties. Lack of access to information is one of the factors that prevent us from easily seeking information about news subjects or the request information from authorities of this province.”
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union (ANJU), expressing concern over the cessation of activities by private media in Badakhshan, mentions that media outlets in this province are grappling with serious financial problems, leading to the loss of jobs for journalists.
Ahmad Jawad Forogh, the head of Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union (ANJU) in Badakhshan, says that currently, there are no active private print media outlets in this province, and only one government publication remains operational.
Mr. Forogh further states that journalists have faced a significant challenge in accessing information since the previous government’s collapse. Meetings between this union and local Taliban officials have proven unproductive.
The head of ANJU in Badakhshan states, “Despite the economic challenges faced by private media, no organization has taken any steps to support them thus far, even though these issues have been shared with the officials of these organizations.”
However, Hakimullah Mohammadi, the head of the Directorate of Information and Culture in Badakhshan under Taliban control, mentions that this directorate has held sessions on the role of media and the participation of government agencies in providing information. He also states that the issues of the media have been discussed with the Ministry of Information and Culture under the management of this group in Kabul.
Mr. Mohammadi asserts that financial issues have led media outlets to suspend their publications during the Taliban’s rule. No media organization has stopped its activities directly due to pressures from this group.
Journalists in Badakhshan province accuse the Taliban of interference and censorship, asserting that if this group adheres to international media laws, the existing problems will be resolved promptly.
These journalists, who, due to security threats, prefer not to disclose their identities in reports, emphasize that the Taliban has made it challenging, if not impossible, for independent media to operate by imposing extensive restrictions.
