As World Press Freedom Day has been commemorated in Afghanistan, media has been left at the mercy of threat and self-censorship and journalists lose their lives and receive death threats on day-to-day basis. Attacks and violence against journalists loom large and the Taliban group is the main threat and obstacle to freedom of expressions and press as it is seeking to silence the voices through the barrel of gun.
The record registration of more than hundred cases against journalists has proven a growing threat to media freedom in the past year as the Taliban group moved to adopt violent approach in silencing dissenting voices. The top three categories of violations against journalists and media practitioners in Afghanistan in the past on year include murder, verbal death threats and physical attacks.
Reports tell us about worrisome trend. At least 20 journalists and media workers have been the victims of targeted attacks and eight, including four women, were killed over the course of six months. The Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists (CPAWJ) registered more than 100 cases of aggression, including murder, death threats, physical attacks and insults, against female journalists within the last year. Reports add that threat against journalists and media practitioners has increased after the United States and the Taliban have signed peace agreement since February last year.
It goes without saying that the alarming escalation in the climate of intimidation and harassment of the media and its practitioners is adversely affecting freedom of expression and access to information.
These figures tell a chilling tale. The Taliban have joined forces to pressure the media and intimidate the journalists through resorting to violence and targeted attacks. The dissenting voice is not tolerable to the Taliban since they are practicing upon harsh ideology and are unable to justify their acts of violence and bloodshed. In other words, the Taliban only talk the language of gun and violence. If they are challenged by the media, they have no logic to defend their stance but to eliminate journalists physically.
National media has challenged the Taliban through raising tough questions. In two interviews, the Taliban political spokesperson Naeem Wardak escaped the questions through leaving his seat or cutting his contact with the interviewer. It indicates that the Taliban are not able to answer to public questions.
The European nations missions in Afghanistan said in a statement on World Press Freedom Day, “Afghanistan’s free and independent media sector has been hard won. Many Afghans have sacrificed their time, their energy, their money and, for some, their lives to build this crucial public good. We pledge our continued support in defense of a free and independent Afghan media. It must be defended.” It added that “vibrant media sector is one of the country’s greatest success stories of the last two decades.”
Notwithstanding the violence against journalists, media has made great strides in the last couple of decades. That is, media is monitoring the activities of the government and political figures and reporting the acts of the violence and killings carried out by the terrorist groups and the Taliban. Journalists and media practitioners bring all sides and individuals under question and seek to reflect the truth to the public.
Meanwhile, media is bringing the public plight and challenges into the attention of government officials and provide a platform to the public to have their say and express their challenges. Citizens send their messages to the government through the media and tell them about their problems. With this in mind, media acts as a bridge between the government officials and citizens in addition to revealing the activities of the officials to the public.
The Taliban should understand that media is not the proponent or opponent of the government or groups but acts as impartial means of information. For instance, if media does not maintain its partiality, it will not give space to the Taliban spokespersons and will not reflect the statements of their leadership. Media is simply trying to serve as bridge and reflect the facts and true situation to the citizens.
Warring parties have to stop targeting journalists and media practitioners since violence against them has no justification. The government has to do more for the protection of journalists and media workers. Furthermore, the international community and the world should support the media and the gains made by it in the last two decades. Violence against media has to stop immediately.