MEDIA IN AFGHANISTAN

Media

After nearly a quarter of a century of suppression at the hands of successive regimes, the Afghan media is considered one of the most vital of the areas currently under reconstruction.

Broadcasting

With the principles of free speech enshrined in the new Afghan constitution, the task of rebuilding the broadcasting sector is central to the new government's stated aim of an independent and pluralistic media.

http://www.culturalprofiles.org.uk/Afghanistan/Directories/Afghanistan_Cultural_Profile/-981.html

Sectoral overview
Afghanistan’s first radio station was established in 1925 during the reign of King Amanullah Khan. Known initially as Radio Kabul, it later went national and was renamed Radio Afghanistan. Closed from 1929 to 1937, it was re-established by the Marconi Company, with outdoor loudspeakers installed in many towns in order to spread the message of the Koran, foster unity and promote education. By the mid 1960s the radio was providing entertainment programming, including music, but all programming was strictly controlled. Broadcasting was carried out through the medium of the national languages of Pashtu and Dari, except during the Soviet times when minority languages were also used. The national television station Television Afghanistan began broadcasting in 1977.

Under Taliban rule Afghanistan's media was seriously restricted. Radio Afghanistan was renamed Radio Voice of Shari'ah (Islamic law) to reflect the Islamic fundamentalist values of the Taliban, and Television Afghanistan was closed down as a source of moral corruption.
Radio Afghanistan returned to the airwaves on 13 November 2001 after the Taliban deserted the capital. A week later Television Afghanistan resumed broadcasting with a news bulletin read by a woman.
Radio Afghanistan currently broadcasts 18 hours per day, seven hours of which is on MW and SW and reaches 50 per cent of the country. The rest is broadcast on FM in Kabul. Outside Kabul there are some 18 provincial radio stations, but since there is no satellite link between them and the capital, these rely largely on tapes sent by Radio Afghanistan.
In a country with a 70-80% illiteracy rate, educational programming is a crucially important aspect of Radio Afghanistan's work, and this is currently being developed with a particular focus on the empowerment of women. In the meantime agencies such as UNESCO and the BBC World Service Trust are working with Radio Afghanistan to upgrade its equipment and retrain its staff.
Two other FM radio stations are operational in Kabul, however, both are run by organisations based outside of the country.
Television has once again become the country's main source of entertainment, though even in Kabul only 25 per cent of families have a television and blackouts are still frequent. Television Afghanistan broadcasts a nightly (four-hour) mix of news, music, sport and movies in both Dari and Pashtu on channel E11 (217.25 MHz vision/222.75 MHz sound). Television in the provinces in Afghanistan was greatly boosted in March 2004 following the completion of a powerful new transmitter in Kabul which broadcasts across the country.
Various foreign radio stations or stations funded from overseas are also relayed to Kabul, including the BBC World Service, Radio France Internationale, the German-run Voice of Freedom, US-funded broadcasts from Radio Free Afghanistan and the Voice of America, and Radio Azadi run by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The government is concerned with this explosion of foreign media and is currently taking steps to regulate broadcasts.

Revival and censorship
Years of war and neglect have taken a major toll on both the human resources and technical infrastructure of the Afghan radio and television sector. Journalists, production and programming staff need training and modern equipment if they are to provide Afghans with an inspiring source of information and entertainment.
There are currently 18 provincial government radio stations, plus a number of independent regional stations. On such independent station is Radio Sulkh, which operates in Jabal e Siraj, some two hours drive north of Kabul. Originally the radio station of General Masood, who was killed by a suicide bomber on 9 September 2001, the station is currently owned by Zachia Zaki. One issue of overriding concern for the government is who controls the programming in the provinces and how safe each station is from the possibility of dissident elements gaining control.
Under the new laws many licences have been granted to operate radio stations. The media NGO Internews, with support from US AID, has selected promising partners and is building 14 new community radio stations. The first one opened in Ghazni on 1 June 2003.
In 2002 French NGO AÏNA opened its Afghan Visual Communication Institute in Kabul. The Centre has since functioned as a training centre for journalists and has also supported the publication of numerous magazines. Financing will continue to be a problem, although the opening up of a market economy has created new opportunities for sponsorship. It is assumed that the NGO community will be among the first advertisers with their educational announcements. As signs for imported products already line the streets, it won’t be long before foreign companies too start advertising their wares on radio.
The Bonn Agreement does not mention freedom of expression, but the 1964 Constitution guaranteed freedom of expression subject to the law. However, the newest laws are vague and, notwithstanding Minister of Information and Culture Dr Sayed Makhdoom Raheen’s support for press freedom, the potential for abuse remains high. Admittedly there is a great need for national broadcasters to encourage unity and to educate the people about their rich cultural heritage, health issues and government policies, but recent fears that the current enlightened regime may not have strong control means that the future of a free media is uncertain.
A related issue of concern to NGOs such as the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), the Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (IMPACS), and Article 19 is the security of journalists who have been threatened after writing articles about the conduct of those in power. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch continue to monitor the situation. There is some concern regarding the response of the more traditional segments of society against this free media.

IMPACS
The Institute for Media, Policy and Civil Society (IMPACS) is an NGO which works to support independent radio with a portable suitcase-sized radio system. Its first partner station was Radio Rabi’a Balkhi in Mazar e Sharif, a female-run community station launched in 2003, which now transmits between two and three hours each day. Since that time it has helped two other independent radio stations to get off the ground.
IMPACS is also involved in legal work with the media. Working closely with the Journalists’ Union of Afghanistan, it has hired a lawyer and is preparing to publish bulletins to raise awareness of issues connected with media law. The Journalists' Union was initiated during the Soviet regime and has been revived with the assistance of media NGO Article 19. One of the issues under scrutiny is the system of making laws. There is currently no consultative process and new laws are discussed only in secret government meetings prior to being adopted. This practice has already caused a furore afterwards in a number of instances. The legal system in Afghanistan may mirror many international systems but the highest court operates under Sharia Law, the interpretation of which may or may not agree with international conventions.
The western idea of journalism as a free and independent media is still in the future, say many. The current belief and training in the universities is that a journalist should write the words of the speaker. Needless to say, in a country where one journalist who asked pointed questions about human rights was beaten up and told to get out of town, self-censorship is rife and fear governs journalistic writings. This patriarchal society relies on the goodwill of journalists to paint a rosy picture of leaders’ work. Recently a journalist who published an article confronting government policies was put in jail. When the incident was reported to Dr Hamid Karzai, he took steps to free the offending journalist. It is hoped that the newly re-established Union of Journalists will advocate media reform, promote debate and discussion and adopt a voluntary code of ethics and procedures.
The huge number of newspapers and magazines contributes to diversity and promotes discussion. Afghan society is on the cusp of a flood of information. Phone lines are being reinstalled, cell phone companies are appearing and the Internet is becoming popular, albeit thus far only in Kabul. This revolution in technology will bring the world to Afghanistan and enable Afghan journalists to communicate with their colleagues overseas. The belief that the citizens have a right to information is not one that has been supported in Afghanistan before. The rise of literacy and the proliferation of print media and radio will lead to a change in viewpoint. Whether this will create a backlash remains to be seen.



http://www.aim.org/media_monitor/A2587_0_2_0_C/
New Media in Afghanistan By Sherrie Gossett February 1, 2005







It's an exciting time for budding journalists in Afghanistan, but you probably haven't heard much about this in mainstream media. The election in Afghanistan was seen by CNN's Peter Bergen as a revolutionary development that he says was underplayed in the press. Similarly, the emergence of new and vibrant and free media in the country has been underplayed but deserves widespread coverage.
As a nation, thanks to our troops, Afghanistan is free today, and free and independent media are emerging. The same thing can happen in Iraq. And that's what scares Osama bin Laden.
Radio has played a key role in Afghanistan's political and social awakening, especially since 85 percent of Afghanis are illiterate and many live in remote areas. Dozens of new radio stations have started up, some supported by grants and training provided by USAID, the European Union, non-governmental organizations or NGOs, and even the U.N. is doing something right in this case. Here's a case where government funding of the media makes some sense.
AINA, an NGO led by the accomplished photojournalist Reza Deghati, has achieved impressive progress. Deghati's photos have appeared in Newsweek, Time, Vanity Fair, New York Times Magazine, and National Geographic, among other publications. In collaboration with UNESCO and the "Women Publishing Group" AINA started the first community radio programming for Afghan women in March 2003. After only a few months, broadcasting time increased to four hours per day. The Voice of Afghan Women radio station covers a range of topics from beauty to sports, cooking, health, family and poetry. The director is Jamila Mujahed, editor in chief of the monthly magazine for women, Malalai. Mujahed is a well-known anchorwoman on Afghan TV. Six female journalists, ages 25 to 50, now work on radio programming.
AINA also distributes a weekly bilingual (Dari and Pashto) 30-minute talk show called Myane Mah ("Between us"), focusing on political issues and a bi-monthly 40-minute program Dar Velayat Chi Megsarat ("What's Happening in the Provinces?"), which addresses issues outside Kabul.
Favorite Afghani publications which had been squashed by the Taliban were resurrected. AINA has also built eight media and culture centers in eight provinces that provide support for the leading news publications of the country as well as video production and training; the first educational mobile cinema; and the first Afghan advertising and communications agency.
Also created was The Women's Film Group. Here Fourteen Afghan women were trained for a year as camerawomen and video journalists. As part of the course, in December 2002, they traveled throughout Afghanistan, shooting a 52-minute documentary, the first to be filmed by Afghan women, about Afghan women. "Afghanistan: Unveiled," has already been shown at international film festivals. Their second film about women's rights in Afghanistan, "Shadows," was recently finished.
AINA also started the first photojournalism school in Afghanistan and the first independent photo agency. They decided to find 20 individuals with no previous experience, but significant potential to become photojournalists. AINA was astonished at the interest. Throngs of individuals surged in to be interviewed. AINA looked for persistence, desire and talent. In many cases, they were dealing with people who had never seen a photograph, but promised to be available 24 hours a day if that's what it took to be accepted.
More media coverage of these often-moving scenes would generate more donations to worthy organizations like AINA, which currently is in need of donated photographic equipment. Fewer individuals yearning for such training would be turned away. You can find out more information on this truly exciting work at www.ainaworld.org.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=22453

Reporters Without Borders today voiced deep shock at the murder overnight of Zakia Zaki, a leading figure among Afghanistan’s independent journalists.
Two armed men broke into the family home of the head of radio Sada-e-Sulh (Peace Radio) in Jabalussaraj, in the northern province of Parwan, and gunned her down in front of her two-year-old son, firing seven bullets before fleeing.
Zakia Zaki, who was 40, had run the radio since it was founded in 2001 and was also head of a local school. She had received several death threats after openly criticising warlords and the Taliban.
"Whether this savage act was linked to her work as a journalist or her civic responsibilities, it is vital that those who responsible for this murder should be quickly identified and punished," the worldwide press freedom organisation said.
"We urge President Hamid Karzai to commit all the necessary resources to ensure a successful outcome to the investigation and to leave no stone unturned." An investigation has been opened but no particular lead was being given priority.
"The head of Sada-e-Sulh had received several threats and her struggle for freedom of expression and women’s liberation were exemplary," the organisation said.
Zakia Zaki liked to refer to Sada-e-Sulh as "a community home for the residents, the only place where they dare to express themselves freely". It is the only independent radio in Parwan province and broadcasts mainly on issues such as human rights, education and women’s rights.
The radio’s staff face constant harassment. One of its journalists, Abdul Qudoos, spent a year in prison after his arrest in February 2006 for an alleged murder attempt, on the basis of a false accusation from a woman deputy Samia Sadat. Zaki was Samia Sadat’s main rival at legislative elections and Sadat had tried to get the radio shut down, viewing it as an instrument of propaganda of her political adversaries.
In an interview with a Reporters Without Borders’ delegation which visited Afghanistan in 2002, Zaki said she had received death threats from several Mujahideen chiefs. Local leaders of the Jamiat-e-islami had banned her from interviewing women in the street for her broadcasts.
A portrait of the journalist was included in a documentary called "If I stand up"", co-produced by UNESCO, on International Women’s Day in March 2005 as one of four eminent women journalists in Afghan society. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly in 2003.