Over 150 Afghan media outlets shut down since Taliban takeover: Report
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More outlets are expected to discontinue operations in the country if the media's financial problem is not resolved and restrictions against them are not addressed, according to officials.
According to local media, 153 media outlets in 20 provinces have ceased operations after the fall of the Republic of Afghanistan, citing organisations defending free media in the turbulent country.
These sources include radio, print, and television channels, according to executives at the organisations, and both fiscal concerns and constraints are apparently the main reasons for their inability to operate any longer, according to Tolo News on Tuesday.
More outlets are expected to discontinue operations in the country if the media's financial problem is not resolved and restrictions against them are not addressed, according to officials.
"If the organisations supporting media do not pay attention to media outlets, soon we will witness the closing of the remaining outlets in the country," Tolo News quoted Hujatullah Mujadadi, the deputy head of the Afghanistan Federation of Journalists, as saying.
"The continuation of this trend has created concerns. We urge international organisations to take immediate action to address this problem. Otherwise, it will be the end of press freedom and other human and civil liberties, " Tolo News quoted Masroor Lutfi, representative of the Afghanistan National Journalists' Union, as saying.
According to the organisations that support free media in Afghanistan, the country's economic issues are considerable, and functioning under constraints poses significant hurdles for the media.
The Taliban, on the other hand, has stated that they will work to establish a safe atmosphere for journalists and media to continue their work.
Following their coverage of continuing protests in Kabul, the Taliban detained Taqi Daryabi and Nematullah Naqdi, a video editor and a video reporter with the daily newspaper Etilaatroz, last week.
According to The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the two journalists were transported to a local police station, where they were segregated into two rooms, insulted, and flogged with cables.
"Taqi Daryabi`s lower back, upper legs, and face, and Naqdi`s left arm, upper back, upper legs, and face were marked by red lesions after the beatings, as seen in photos posted to Twitter by Etilaatroz and Zaki Daryabi and on the Los Angeles Times` website. Daryabi appeared to be unable to walk unaided, according to a video posted on Twitter by Zaki Daryabi," ICJ said.
(With inputs from ANI)