6,400 Journalists Lost Jobs In Afghanistan Since Taliban Takeover: Survey

Kabul: More than 6,400 journalists have lost their jobs in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the war-ravaged country four months ago, a survey has revealed.

Further, a total of 231 media outlets have had to close down during this period, ANI reported.

Conducted by non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and its local partner Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA), the survey has brought to light a dramatic change in Afghan media landscape after August-September.

It’s a scary development for the industry as in terms of percentage, 40% of media outlets no longer exist while 60% of journalists and media employees no longer work in this sector.

Female journalists have been hit the hardest as 80% of them have been rendered unemployed after Taliban took control of Kabul.

“Of the 543 media outlets tallied in Afghanistan at the start of the summer, only 312 were still operating at the end of November. This means that 43% of Afghan media outlets disappeared in the space of three months,” RSF stated.

Most Afghan provinces had 10 or more privately-owned media outlets before Taliban rule started earlier this year. But that is a thing of the past.

“There used to be 10 media outlets in the mountainous northern province of Parwan but now just three are functioning. In the western city of Herat and the surrounding province, only 18 of the 51 media outlets are still operating – a 65 per cent fall,” RSF said.

The world had been doubting whether Taliban would keep its promise of protecting women’s rights, media freedom. Clearly, they have gone back on their word.