With Doom And Crisis Resilience Appears

Michael Hedges September 15, 2021 Follow on Twitter

Taking for granted significant civic institutions is a mark, say historians, of inevitable decline. Citations are extensive, from the Roman Empire to the Soviet Union. In post-modern times, dismay at failures of Orange Revolutions and the Arab Spring to stem civic decline is palpable. Causes differ and are complex. Science, physics in particular, grants metaphysical truth. Objects at rest tend to fall apart: the Law of Entropy.

Taliban militias took control of Afghanistan about a month ago, mid-August. Some observers were surprised, mostly about the swift success. Others saw it coming, usually in hindsight. Taliban leaders have a plan, total control, and the means, violence and repression. This leaves little space for the nascent Afghan media sector that had risen from the shambles of the previous Taliban rule.

“If the necessary conditions are not met, the only thing we will see is an official Taliban media,” said International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) secretary general Anthony Bellanger to The Guardian (September 15). “All other journalists will simply disappear. Working in Afghanistan was not easy before, but now it is very bleak.”

"The Taliban don't want to make too many waves right now,” he continued, “but they will want to take control of everything, including the foreign press in Afghanistan, and foreign journalists will be considered agents of foreign governments, as is often the case in such cases. Journalists who try to continue working under the Taliban rule are beaten and imprisoned.”

“It’s a question of weeks before it changes. I am pessimistic – I will be glad to be proved wrong, but the Taliban is still the Taliban. They announced an inclusive government and what did we get – no women. It’s a catastrophe.” While calling for humanitarian exit visas for Afghan media workers he noted the importance of independent reporting continuing lest the flow of “valuable information” stops.

News coverage of protests, modest as they are, bring out the ire of the Taliban militias. Two reporters for local news portal EtilaatRoz - Nemat Naqdi and Taqi Daryabi - were detained near Kabul covering a women’s demonstration supporting women’s rights, according to CNN (September 12). They were taken to a police station and severely beaten. "It is possible that from now on the Taliban threaten and torture journalists,” said Mr. Daryabi. “The continuation of their activities will be deemed as a danger to their government.” Aftermath photos of the two, bruised and bloody, have been widely published.

"They declared to the journalists in a press conference that they will be granted permission to continue with their activities but only under the Islamic rules,” noted Mr. Daryabi. “I believe those threats are still present. The journalists will not stop, they are a different sector of the society, and they are people who convey the voice of the population. They become the voice of the people.” More than a dozen media workers were detained for covering the women’s protests, reported the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

About 150 Afghan media outlets - online, radio, TV and print - have now closed, reported Tolo TV News (September 14), which has continued operation. Many reporters, photographers and staff members have fled. “Many embassies asked if I wanted to leave Afghanistan, but I am committed to work for women and my country,” said Tolo TV News reporter Madina Morwat to the Financial Times (September 12).

See also...

• Hot Topics - Media in Central Asia

• Hot Topics - Media Development

Media in Spain - Diverse and Challenged – new

Media in Spain is steeped in tradition. yet challenged by diversity. Publishers hold great influence, broadcasters competing. New media has been slow to rise and business models for all are under stress. Rich in language and culture, Spain's media is reaching into the future and finding more than expected. 123 pages, PDF. January 2018

Order here

The Campaign Is On - Elections and Media

Elections campaigns are big media events. Candidates and issues are presented, analyzed and criticized in broadcast and print. Media is now more of a participant in elections than ever. This ftm Knowledge file reports on news coverage, advertising, endorsements and their effect on democracy at work. 84 pages. PDF (September 2017)

Order here

Fake News, Hate Speech and Propaganda

The institutional threat of fake news, hate speech and propaganda is testing the mettle of those who toil in news media. Those three related evils are not new, by any means, but taken together have put the truth and those reporting it on the back foot. Words matter. This ftm Knowledge file explores that light. 48 pages, PDF (March 2017)

Order here

More ftm Knowledge files here

Become an ftm Individual or Corporate Member to order Knowledge Files at no charge. JOIN HERE!