One year after the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan’s media faces crisis and opportunity

One year after the Taliban’s return to power, Afghan media is in crisis. Between censorship, arrests, assaults, restrictions on women journalists, the flight of many Afghan journalists, and the country’s declining economy, Afghan media outlets are struggling to survive.

CPJ special report “Afghanistan’s media crisis” finds a deterioration in press freedom over the last year. At the same time, the report showcases the tenacity and vital reporting by those journalists who remain and the valuable work of Afghan journalists working in exile.

In a joint letter Thursday with 11 other journalist safety and press freedom groups, CPJ urged U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to expedite visas for Afghan journalists.

Read the report on our website, watch a video that features some of its authors, and engage with us on Twitter.

On August 16, join us for a virtual panel discussion moderated by CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg on the state of press freedom in the country one year after the Taliban takeover. RSVP here.

Report’s sections:

• Afghanistan’s media faces crisis—and opportunity
• Inside an Afghan news network’s struggle to survive
• ‘I thought about the efforts and struggles of two decades… and cried’
• Kathy Gannon: Courageous journalism is happening in Afghanistan. We can help.

Read CPJ’s recommendations for protecting journalists and press freedom in Afghanistan here. 

CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists)