The Taliban’s swift takeover of Kabul in August 2021 marked a devastating blow to civic liberties and human rights in Afghanistan, with journalism being one of the most affected professions in the country. In the last two years, over two-thirds of the country’s 12,000 journalists abandoned their profession, and 80% of women journalists inside Afghanistan were forced to cease work altogether. Reporters Without Borders reveals a dire situation: half of 547 media outlets vanished, with TV channels reduced to 70 and radio stations to 170. Censorship and threats have escalated, prompting around 1,000 journalists to flee the country.
In this podcast, CMT Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Ayesha Jehangir speaks with Canada-based Afghan journalist Zahra Nader, who, in exile, launched Zan Times – a women-led news website that features stories of Afghan women living under the Taliban regime.
In their conversation, they delve into the challenges confronted by women journalists reporting from within Afghanistan, and whether practicing journalism from exile can have an impact on audiences in the homeland.