Afghanistan
Country Profile – Context
CONTEXT
AFGHAN EXILED MEDIA SINCE TALIBAN TAKOVER
Following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Afghanistan witnessed an exodus of independent journalists and media outlets. This event triggered the closure of many media as well as the departure of over 30 outlets as well as scores of journalists and media managers, many of whom established new media in exile – often as spiritual successors to defunct media in Afghanistan. Currently, about 47 exiled independent Afghan media outlets serve millions of Afghans through digital platforms and satellite TV.
The Taliban quickly imposed severe restrictions and censorship on media in Afghanistan – first with the “11 Journalism Rules”, which imposed restrictions on access to information, news publication, and content production, and later with “17 directives” aimed at enforcing systemic Taliban control over the media space.
These new restrictions violated Afghan media law, including the Mass Media Law of 2009 that had previously been a paragon of progressive media legislation and support for pluralism in the region. In addition to other constraints, restrictions and threats, economic instability emerged as a major contributor to media outlet closures, as many lacked the resources to continue operations. Afghanistan was one of the top 10 global recipients of philanthropic media funding in 2010-2019, meaning that media had little experience of operating business models – on average donor funds made up 90% of Afghan media revenues in 2023.
This became a major challenge given that most Afghan media leadership relocated to high-cost jurisdictions – primarily the United States and Canada, and to a lesser extent European countries such as Germany, France, UK, Ireland. This was partially balanced by a relatively numerous relocation to Pakistan and Iran, which allowed for closer contact with Afghanis, and even travel back, but posed increased security risks.
Exiled media reach millions despite Taliban efforts to block content. Amu TV, for example, garners significant YouTube engagement, illustrating its impact in countering misinformation. These outlets also address hard-to-reach groups, including women and ethnic minorities, providing a platform for their voices.
Since August 2021, Afghan exiled media significantly increased their online presence, and utilise websites and various social media to bypass the Taliban government’s firewall. This has resulted in a rise in their audience engagement and interaction.
News publishing on multilingual websites and content for social media are the primary mechanisms of Afghan exiled media to reach additional audiences inside the country and to obtain user-generated content. In addition to video-centric platforms, media often use Facebook, which has a collective 8.3 million page likes for Afghan media.
Challenges in host countries include legal barriers, language issues, and maintaining credibility with home audiences. Navigating foreign bureaucracies complicates their operations, while the need to adapt to new media environments strains resources. Travel between home and host countries is dangerous and typically as discrete as possible.
Repression methods include censorship, arrests, and labeling media as “anti-Islamic” or “extremist.” Family members of exiled journalists often face intimidation. Freelancers on the ground are also a security risk; they are often subject to repressive legislation and even physical threats. Despite these challenges, exiled Afghan media remain a vital source of independent news, deserving international support to sustain their operations and amplify marginalized voices.