Series - The Future Of Global Cooperation (#FuturesFestival 2022)

“We shouldn’t be gossiping about Afghanistan from afar”: Afghan journalist on how free press affects international aid

Author Neha Chollangi
Afghanistan’s independent media has suffered a great collapse over the last year, and local journalists in the country need support more than ever.

Why It Matters

Studies show that the international coverage of a humanitarian crisis directly impacts how much global aid goes into the affected region. Passing the one year mark of when the Taliban took power, supporting local journalists in Afghanistan is vital for inclusive coverage of important issues affecting populations within the country, this expert says.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be gossiping about Afghanistan from afar\u201d: Afghan journalist on how free press affects international aid. This story is in partnership with Cooperation Canada & CanWaCH. See our editorial ethics and standards here. When Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, Afghanistan\u2019s journalists and media outlets started to disappear like smoke. Just within three months, over 40 percent of the country's media outlets vanished. By December 2021, more than 6,000 journalists lost their jobs \u2014 nearly half of whom being women journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders .\u00a0 Lotfullah Najafizada was a director and journalist at TOLOnews, the first and largest 24\/7 news channels in Afghanistan, before the Taliban\u201

Join a community of 2000+ impact-oriented professionals like you. Get full access to this story and all Future of Good content, including tickets to our digital events and networking, with a membership.