Blacked out: Media freedom under the Taliban

Recent results from a study by Afghan NGO Nai-Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan (Nai SOMA) and DW Akademie show the extent of the Afghan media sector's breakdown. During the research period in early 2022, the two organizations conducted a multilingual online survey, as well as semi-structured focus group discussions with media professionals from different provinces in Afghanistan. Nine exiled Afghan journalists were also interviewed. They had fled to countries in Asia, Europe, and North America after the Taliban seized power.

DW Akademie's new discussion paper "Blacked out: Media freedom under the Taliban" compiles the study's findings. They highlight an ever-worsening situation for female journalists, a massive economic crisis within the media, and an almost total censorship of political debate.