Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

Protecting Independent Media in the Taliban’s Afghanistan

A Look at the Current Afghan Media Landscape and How to Protect Media Freedom Under Taliban Rule

Date: Thursday, January 19, 2023 / Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm EST

Center: Asia Center

Share This
Print the Page

The expansion of freedom of expression and the emergence of a vibrant free press were among the biggest achievements of the 2001-2021 period and made Afghanistan a standout in the region for independent media. But since taking power in August 2021, the de facto Taliban government has eroded these gains, leaving the future of free media in Afghanistan unclear. Over the past year, the Taliban have shut down and restricted media organizations, detained journalists and imposed harsher restrictions on female reporters. However, media organizations are fighting back, finding innovative ways to get accurate, timely information to the Afghan public.

Kate Bateman, USIP; Ayesha Tanzeem, Voice of America; Barry Salaam, USIP; Rahim Gulf Sarwan, Voice of America -- Afghanistan; Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, Committee to Protect Journalists
Kate Bateman, USIP; Ayesha Tanzeem, Voice of America; Barry Salaam, USIP; Rahim Gulf Sarwan, Voice of America -- Afghanistan; Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, Committee to Protect Journalists

According to Reporters Without Borders, in the year since the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan has lost 40 percent of its media outlets and 60 percent of its journalists, including a steeper decline in women journalists. A free press in Afghanistan is essential for Afghans to hold their government accountable and for human rights monitoring. Amid the economic and humanitarian crises facing the country, Afghans also rely on the media for life-saving information about humanitarian aid and international assistance. 

On January 19, USIP and Voice of America hosted a discussion with journalists and media experts about the challenges facing media in Afghanistan today and what those both inside and outside the country are doing — and can do — to protect media freedom and continue their work safely. The conversation also looked at lessons from other authoritarian contexts to discuss what has worked to preserve media freedom in hostile environments.

Continue the conversation on Twitter using #AfghanistanUSIP.

Hear a one-on-one interview with Ayesha Tanzeem, director of Voice of America's South and Central Asia Division, in our Event Extra podcast.

Speakers

Ayesha Tanzeem
Director of the South and Central Asia Division and Former Bureau Chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Voice of America

Rahim Gul Sarwan
Senior Correspondent, Voice of America – Afghanistan 

Barry Salaam
Senior Program Officer, Afghanistan, U.S. Institute of Peace

Gypsy Guillén Kaiser
Advocacy and Communications Director, Committee to Protect Journalists 

Kate Bateman, moderator 
Senior Expert, Afghanistan, U.S. Institute of Peace

Related Publications

The Latest @ USIP: Reclaiming Human Rights in Afghanistan

The Latest @ USIP: Reclaiming Human Rights in Afghanistan

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

By: Fatima Gailani

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed their own interpretation of Islamic law onto the people of Afghanistan and consistently rolled back human rights protections — especially for women and girls — all while the country struggles to recover from decades of conflict and economic crisis. USIP spoke with Fatima Gailani, the former president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, about the various ways Afghans can put pressure on the Taliban to reclaim their rights and demand a better future.

Type: Blog

Gender;  Human Rights

Asfandyar Mir on Why ISIS-K Attacked Moscow

Asfandyar Mir on Why ISIS-K Attacked Moscow

Monday, April 1, 2024

By: Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D.

ISIS-K’s recent attack on the Russian capital was, in part, intended to assert the organization’s growing capacity to inflict terror beyond its home base of Afghanistan. “By reaching Moscow, ISIS-K is trying to signal it has the geographic reach to hit anywhere in the world,” says USIP’s Asfandyar Mir.

Type: Podcast

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

By: Mary Glantz, Ph.D. ;   Gavin Helf, Ph.D. ;   Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D. ;   Andrew Watkins

On Friday, terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow leaving 140 people dead and 80 others critically wounded. Soon after, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist group, which is headquartered in Iraq and Syria, has several branches, including in South and Central Asia. Press reports suggest the U.S. government believes the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was behind the attack. The Biden administration has publicly noted that it had warned the Russian government of the terrorism threat in early March in line with the procedure of “Duty to Warn.”

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

The Challenges Facing Afghans with Disabilities

The Challenges Facing Afghans with Disabilities

Thursday, February 29, 2024

By: Belquis Ahmadi

In Afghanistan, obtaining accurate data on the number of persons with disabilities — including gender-disaggregated information — has always been a challenging endeavor. But based on the data we do have, it’s clear that more than four decades of violent conflict have left a considerable portion of the Afghan population grappling with various forms of disabilities, both war-related and otherwise. And the pervasive lack of protective mechanisms, social awareness and empathy surrounding disability continue to pose formidable challenges for individuals with disabilities, with women being disproportionately affected.

Type: Analysis

Gender;  Human Rights

View All Publications