Protect Journalists Under Threat in Afghanistan

Internews has been in Afghanistan for two decades, working alongside Afghan journalists, media entrepreneurs, and technologists as they fostered a media sector that, at its height, employed thousands of women, reached every province, and became one of the most trusted institutions in the country. 

Before the Taliban’s rise to power in 2021, Afghanistan had made great strides, rising to 122nd out of 180 countries in the RSF’s Press Freedom Index. It has now fallen to 152nd, due in part to the Taliban’s severe media directives to censor and control media. In a report released at the end of 2023, the Afghanistan Journalists Center documented at least 168 instances of violations of journalists' rights in 2023, including one journalist death, 19 injuries, 87 threats, and 61 arrests. 

Women are especially at risk. Research conducted by our longstanding partners highlights a significant decline in women's roles in the media sector after the fall of the Republic, especially in the number of women journalists and media workers. Key issues identified include violence against women, particularly psychological violence, and substantial healthcare challenges, such as limited employment opportunities for midwives and the poor state of health facilities.   

Despite these grim challenges, many news outlets remain operational — both in-country and in-exile — and are fighting for Afghanistan’s media freedom. Internews has continued supporting independent Afghan radio, TV, and online media outlets inside and outside of the country to stay open, protect staff, adapt their business models, and access additional funding: 

Digital safety support  

• We are offering remote mentoring and training to media outlets and journalists to assess and mitigate risks in digital spaces, use devices and platforms safely, detect malware, and access quality uncensored information. This includes digital security mentoring provided online to media partners, asynchronous online training, and self-learning digital security materials that journalists can access safely from inside Afghanistan.  

Media content production 

• Internews is providing grants to independent media outlets in-country and in-exile to produce content on radio, TV, and digital platforms. We give direct support to women journalists and women-led media organizations to ensure that women’s voices continue to be heard.  

Countering mis- and disinformation  

• Internews is helping counter mis- and disinformation through online fact-checking training for journalists. We also work remotely to increase accountability for mis- and disinformation generators and directly engage with platforms to limit mis- and disinformation.  

Journalist safety and media violation tracking  

• Internews has provided crisis funds to Afghan journalists and grants to initiatives such as journalist safe houses. In addition, we are partnering with other media support organizations to track media violations across the country. 

We sincerely thank you for your donations, on behalf of our organization and the journalists serving their communities around the world. It wouldn’t be possible without you.