Afghanistan: Latest poll reveals 95% journalists are unable to report stories freely

Amid the various debates over freedom of expression in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, a media poll revealed that 95% of journalists in the nation have difficulty in accessing information and are unable to report news freely. According to The Khaama Press, on Sunday, the National Union of Afghanistan's Journalists in Kabul disclosed the findings of the survey during a press conference, which was carried out in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan and involved 500 Afghan journalists.

Masroor Lutfi, the head of the Union said, "We asked attendants if the media are censored, 90% said yes and only 10% said no, 90% attendants said yes to the question of access to information while the same percentage said they have been censored by de facto authorities," The Khaama Press reported.

Findings of the survey

According to the statistics of the survey, 90% of the participants of the poll are having major difficulties gathering information because there is no clear rule of accessing information since the Taliban reclaimed power. According to the survey, 30% of Afghan journalists claimed it was challenging to interview Taliban officials, while 50% said they had difficulty interviewing ordinary Afghans as well.

Furthermore, Lutfi stated that in the provinces, meddling with the information and culture ministry in the nation is a major issue. Nearly 30% of the Afghan journalists felt that the refusal to provide interviews by the Taliban is a severe concern, while 50% of those who polled claimed that citizens are terrified of the situation and are unwilling to give interviews, ANI reported citing Lutfi.

Meanwhile, more than 70% of media outlets have ceased operations since the Taliban came to power, as per some media-supporting groups, Tolo News reported. It is worth noting that this media poll took place when Afghan journalists have accused the Taliban of restricting, assaulting, harassing, as well as threatening them while reporting stories, particularly during the outdoors, The Khaama Press reported. 

In addition to this, earlier, in August 2021, female journalists in the war-torn nation alleged that the Taliban were not allowing them to work. This was contradictory to the Taliban's claims that women would be permitted to work in accordance with Sharia law.

Moreover, weeks after the Taliban took control of Kabul following the dissolution of the Afghan government, Fahim Dashti, a prominent journalist and the spokesman for the anti-Taliban group National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, died during a battle on September 5, 2021.

(Image: AP)