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Afghan Exiled Journalists Recreate Independent TV

  • The Globe and Mail
  • Doug Saunders

Exiled Afghan journalists are keeping critical reporting alive through Amu TV and its flagship show Jan-e-Gap, broadcasting from studios in the U.S., Canada, France, and Turkey. Host Sadaf Rahimi and co-founders Lotfullah Najafizada and Sami Mahdi connect millions of Afghan viewers to open debate, exposing abuses and giving a voice to those silenced under the Taliban.

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Exiled Journalists: Free Speech, Resettlement & Advocacy

  • The Good Men Project
  • Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Said Najib Asil, founder of the Free Speech Centre and former head of Current Affairs at TOLOnews, shares his journey from leading Afghan media to supporting exiled journalists worldwide. In this interview, he discusses advocacy, training, and the urgent needs of displaced media workers facing professional, economic, and mental health challenges.

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How Taliban Censorship and Arrests Threaten Afghan Journalism

  • 8AM Media
  • Avizha Khorshid

A new report highlights how Taliban censorship, arrests, and intimidation severely threaten Afghan journalists working inside the country. Despite growing risks, many continue reporting under fear and secrecy. Journalists warn that without strong international support, independent voices in Afghanistan may soon be silenced.

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The Taliban’s Slow Dismantling of Afghan Media

  • Just Security
  • Olof Blomqvist

After seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban moved swiftly to impose a stifling control over Afghan society. The former constitution and legal framework were both suspended pending a “review” of their compatibility with sharia law. In their place, the Taliban have gradually installed a complex web of new laws and policies, many dictated directly by the group’s elusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzadah.

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Afghanistan’s Media Landscape

  • Modern Diplomacy
  • Saima Afzal

Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, Afghanistan’s media landscape has undergone drastic changes, marked by severe restrictions on press freedom. Journalists face constant threats, censorship, and violence, especially when covering topics like women’s rights, human rights, and the actions of the Afghan government.

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Inside the Virginia Newsroom of Amu TV

  • The Atlantic
  • Cora Engelbrecht

How he exiled Afghans of Amu TV are holding the Taliban to account — from 7,000 miles away. Even though it operates abroad—or perhaps because it operates abroad—Amu TV is one of the most effective chroniclers of life under Taliban rule. The Atlantic reporter Cora Engelbrecht paid a visit to their newsroom.

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Needs Assessment Report of Afghan Journalists

  • Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization

The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO) has published its findings from a survey in which 310 Afghan journalists, both in Afghanistan and in exile, participated. The new report mainly focuses on the needs of journalists in capacity building.

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“I Have Learned to Never Give Up”

  • Institute of War & Peace Reporting
  • Zahra Nader

Zahra Nader ist the founder and editor-in-chief of the Afghan Magazine Zan Times. For the Institute of War & Peace Reporting she reflects on her mission and shares what helps her to keep fighting for equality and justice in Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan’s Media Crisis

  • JSK Fellows
  • Faisal Karimi

The journalism landscape in Afghanistan has undergone a significant and distressing transformation following the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021.

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From Afghanistan to Bruchhausen-Vilsen

  • Weser Kurier
  • Ivonne Wolfgramm

Former Afghan journalist Hedayatullah Zyarmal, who now lives in Bruchhausen-Vilsen, talks about his desire to continue his media work and the hurdles he has to overcome.

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2023 Democracy Award for Afghan Independent Media

  • National Endowment for Democracy
  • Sarah Hutson

Afghanistan’s once thriving media sector has been facing myriad challenges under Taliban rule. Despite all challenges, however, Afghan journalists continue to produce factual, objective news.

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