Country Profile: Afghanistan
Context
CONTEXT
INDEPENDENT AFGHAN EXILED MEDIA SINCE 2021
After the Taliban seized control in 2021, Afghanistan saw a mass departure of independent journalists and media organizations. Since then, almost 40% of its media outlets have ceased operations, and numerous journalists and media professionals have fled abroad. Many went on to establish new platforms abroad, often as successors to now-defunct Afghan media.
TIGHTENING TALIBAN CONTROL OVER THE PRESS
Only a month after Kabul’s fall, the new authorities issued “11 Journalism Rules” prohibiting coverage deemed contrary to Islam, Afghan culture, or “insulting” to public officials. Since then, they have introduced more than 20 additional regulations, including bans on non-religious music, strict pre-broadcast censorship, and prohibitions on criticizing Taliban laws and policies.
Live political broadcasts are banned, and both program topics and invited experts must be pre-approved by Taliban authorities. A list of 68 approved experts is maintained; inviting anyone outside this list requires prior notification.
SYSTEMATIC EXCLUSION OF WOMEN FROM JOURNALISM
Women have been disproportionately affected by Taliban media rules. Women journalists must cover their faces on camera, work separately from men, and cannot appear alongside male presenters. Female voices are being banned from radio, and women are often excluded from official press briefings. The requirement for women to travel only with a mahram (male guardian) has made field reporting virtually impossible. These restrictions have forced most women journalists into exile or out of the profession altogether.
Despite these challenges, Afghan women journalists continue to resist. Some have fled the country and (re)established media platforms in exile, such as Zan Times and Rukhshana, to provide independent news and amplify women’s voices. These women-led outlets focus on issues that cannot be covered inside Afghanistan, including gender-based violence and the impact of the Taliban’s restrictive policies on girls and women.
ECONOMIC FRAGILITY AND DONOR DEPENDENCY
Economic instability has further weakened media sustainability. Between 2010 and 2019, Afghanistan was among the world’s top 10 recipients of media development funding, leaving many outlets with limited experience in generating commercial revenue. In 2023, donor support made up around 90% of Afghan media revenues on average.
Many Afghan media leaders have relocated to countries with higher living costs – primarily the United States and Canada, and to a lesser extent Germany, France, the UK, and Ireland. A substantial number of independent journalists and media professionals have fled to Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey.
HOSTILE CONDITIONS IN IRAN, PAKISTAN, AND TURKEY
Afghan journalists who could not secure immediate resettlement to Western countries are waiting in precarious security situations for decisions on their pending cases with Western embassies or the UN refugee agency UNHCR. The situation in Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey has significantly worsened in 2025 for these journalists.
Iran expelled more than half a million Afghans in a 16-day stretch between June 24 and July 9. In Pakistan, at least 1.4 million Afghans are at risk of being deported back to Afghanistan, including journalists who have been waiting to be resettled to Germany via the federal admission program for Afghanistan. In Turkey, Afghan journalists face growing threats of deportation, legal uncertainty, and severe economic hardship, with many lacking valid residency permits and fearing harassment or surveillance.
CHALLENGES IN EXILE
Exiled Afghan journalists confront legal obstacles to residency and work, language barriers, and unfamiliar bureaucracies. Navigating these foreign systems complicates their operations, while the need to adapt to new media environments strains their resources. Limited secure access to sources on the ground further hampers their ability to maintain credibility with audiences back home.
EXILED OUTLETS CONTINUE TO REACH MILLIONS
Despite Taliban efforts to control information, exiled media continue to reach millions of Afghans. Outlets such as 8AM Media, Afghanistan International, Amu TV, and Etilaatroz provide vital reporting. Some were newly founded in exile after 2021; others relocated from Afghanistan.
These outlets aim to fill the information gap inside the country and keep the international community informed. However, extreme risks for on-the-ground reporting in Afghanistan often limit their depth of coverage. Cuts in aid during the Trump administration have already forced some outlets, including Afghanistan International, to reduce operations.
The JX Fund tracks 40 independent exiled Afghan media. In the past year, 11 became dormant – either rarely publishing or ceasing operations entirely, in part due to shrinking donor support. Social media reach remains significant but has dropped markedly compared to the previous year.
Still, millions of Afghans continue to rely on exiled outlets for independent reporting, often in defiance of Taliban censorship. The persistence of these audiences shows that credible, independent journalism remains both needed and valued – and that despite the immense challenges, Afghan journalists in exile continue to play a vital role in keeping information flowing to their homeland.