2013 is a critical year for the future of Afghanistan. It marks the completion of security transition from Nato to Afghan security forces. Moreover, preparations for political transition of 2014 and economic transition takes place this year. This will, by a large extent, determine how Afghanistan navigates its way through a host of heavy challenges into stability.
In the context of these major changes, media sector, among others, has sustained considerable difficulties. Some of them include increased violence against journalists, increased financial challenges of media organizations and growing restrictions with regards to access to information.
Violence against media workers, instigated by various parties, increased significantly this year in comparison to the past couples of years. Amid this, the violent behavior of government officials, which has been on the rise and tending to become more systematic, is of a great concern simply because in principle and according to laws government is responsible for ensuring safe working conditions for journalists. On the other hand, continued coverage of violence by journalists has resulted in many of them succumbing to psychological disorders and prompting some of them to quit their profession as journalists.
It is worth mentioning that, in the first six months of the year, some important steps have also been taken to safeguard freedom of expression and provide a better working environment for journalists. In this line, of note is the formation of Afghanistan Journalists’ Federation, which can be considered a major achievement in the history of media in Afghanistan. The federation has created a new atmosphere and momentum to enhance integration of media support organizations and groups and create a bulwark against escalation of various types of pressure on media and journalists.
This report sheds light on journalists’ safety in Afghanistan during the first six months of 2013 and presents statistics and a brief description of cases of violence against media workers. Additionally, the report briefly features the economic and security situation of each region in the backdrop of the practice of journalism. This is because there is direct relation between these two phenomena.
It is worth mentioning that cases of violence against media workers have been registered in line with the policy and procedures of the Safety Committee. This means the Committee has a specific definition for journalists and media workers; therefore, cases in which the legal status of the victims does not conform to the definition recognized by the committee, have not been recorded.
Note: To read the full report, click here.
