52 per cent of visual media outlets ceased operations in Afghanistan since Taliban took control in August 2021

After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, press freedom in the country has taken a backseat, with several restrictions put into place for journalists. The Media Support for Afghanistan's Free Media (NAI) announced on Tuesday, coinciding with World Television Day, highlighting that more than half of the visual media outlets in the country have remained inactive.

Under the Taliban regime, at least 52 per cent of visual media outlets have ceased operations in Afghanistan over the past two years, Khaama Press reported. The Media Support for Afghanistan's Free Media (NAI) announced on Tuesday, coinciding with World Television Day, highlighting that more than half of the visual media outlets in the country have remained inactive.

The NAI has expressed its deep concern about the state of media, especially visual media, and has called for the support of national and international institutions in addressing the media crisis, the Khaama Press said. After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, press freedom in the country has taken a backseat, with several restrictions put into place for journalists.

Moreover, according to local media reports, after the political change in the country, 94 per cent of women journalists have become unemployed due to restrictions on their work. Meanwhile, according to a survey undertaken by the NAI, at least 77 television stations out of 147 visual media outlets have suspended operations owing to "economic challenges," reported Khaama Press.

In order to prevent the destruction of the media outlets, NAI has encouraged interim government authorities to examine taxation and financial guarantees. Lack of access to information has been one of the main challenges for journalists in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021.

The ever-increasing restrictions against media in Afghanistan have also drawn widespread criticism globally with the United Nations (UN) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) decrying the arrests, demanding the Taliban stop harassing local journalists and stifling freedom of speech through continued detentions and threats. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, it rolled back women's rights advances and media freedom revoking the efforts on gender equality and freedom of speech in the country. (ANI)

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