There is been a radical change in the Afghan media landscape since the return of the Islamic Emirate in August 15, the survey indicates, adding women journalists have been hardly-affected with four out five no longer working.
“A total of 231 media outlets have had to close and more than 6,400 journalists have lost their jobs since 15 August,” the survey report said.
“Of the 543 media outlets tallied in Afghanistan at the start of the summer, only 312 were still operating at the end of November,” it said. “This means that 43% of Afghan media outlets disappeared in the space of three months.”
“Of the 10,790 people working in the Afghan media (8,290 men and 2,490 women) at the start of August, only 4,360 (3,950 men and 410 women) – or four out of every ten media workers – were still working when this survey was carried out,” it said.
“Proportionally, women have been hit much more: more than four out of five (84%) have lost their jobs since the Taliban takeover, as against one out of every two men (52%).”
There are no working women journalists in 15 of the Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The northern province of Jowzjan used to have 19 media outlets employing 112 women, now none of the 12 media outlets still operating is employing a woman.
The study used the figures for the previous situation from a survey conducted by media outlets and journalists operating in Afghanistan before the Islamic Emirate returned to power.
Most of the Afghan provinces had at least 10 privately owned media outlets just four months ago, but now some regions have almost no local media at all.
“The central Kabul region, which had more media that anywhere else, has not been spared the carnage. It has lost more than one of every two media outlets (51%). Of the 148 tallied prior to 15 August, only 72 are still operating,” the study found.
Of the 1,100 women journalists and media workers counted in the capital at the start of August, only 320 are now working – a 73% drop.
Hundreds of journalists have also left Afghanistan since August for fear of reprisals by those who now rule the country or because of problems associated with practicing their profession under Taliban rule.
Since establishing their acting government in September, the Islamic Emirate have issued a set of “journalism rules.”
The survey described the guidelines as dangerous, saying they open the way to censorship and persecution, and deprive journalists of their independence.
The Islamic Emirate authorities have repeatedly denied similar reports.
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