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In 2022, many local media outlets in Afghanistan faced financial hardships. At least 10 media outlets were closed in Kabul and the provinces, according to watchdog organizations, reported TOLO News.
The TOLO News report said: "Two TV networks, seven radio stations and one news outlet are the media outlets that stopped their operations in 2022. Many journalists lost their jobs after the closure of the media outlets." Farhad Behroz, deputy head of the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) said: "During 2022, we witnessed a decline in media and sadly, many of our colleagues lost their jobs." Radio Azadi or Radio Free Europe and Voice of America on December 1 reported that the Islamic Emirate had halted their broadcasts in Afghanistan. According to the Taliban, the broadcasts have been halted due to the cancellation of their contracts with the Radio/Television of Afghanistan (RTA). Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said: "This issue belongs to the Ministry of Information and Culture. Both sides have contracts which have been canceled and this stopped their broadcast." Another broadcaster Nargis Radio stopped broadcasting as a result of financial difficulties. Various citizens lost their jobs. Shafiqullah Rahmani, former manager of Radio Nargis in Nangarhar had said: "Radio Nargis has stopped its operations due to economic issues." A report by watchdog organizations shows that 86 incidences of harassment of journalists were reported in 2022, reported TOLO News. According to journalists, they did not have access to crucial information in 2022. Masiullah Ahmadi, a reporter, as quoted by TOLO News said: "The media could not have access to information from sources they were meant to receive it from. This itself caused the shutdown of media outlets." Afghanistan's Ministry of Information and Culture under the caretaker Taliban regime, formed the Media Violations Commission to address the problems faced by the media. It was expected that some of the commission's members would be women. The plan was later cancelled. "On November 30, the Taliban's ministry of information and culture said the law on access to information, relevant to media groups, was shared with the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada," reported TOLO News. Muhajir Farahi, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture under the Taliban said: "The decision is that all problems faced by media outlets should be solved by one address, especially the Ministry of Information and Culture." At present, 83 TV networks, 213 radio stations, 28 news agencies and 20 print media are active in Afghanistan. About 225 media outlets in Afghanistan have stopped operating due to economic issues and restrictions imposed by the government. (ANI)
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