Media Freedom Points to Progress in Afghanistan

By Alexander Chaves Reprint | | Print |

NEW YORK, Jul 3 2013 (IPS) - With a little over a year to go before NATO begins the drawdown of its troops in Afghanistan, predictions about the country’s future run the gamut from utterly bleak to incredibly hopeful.

Some say that the population of 35 million has been hardened by war, while deadly militant attacks, including most recently on the presidential palace in the capital Kabul, bode badly for peace.

But prominent members of civil society are daring to be optimistic, citing the country’s great strides in school enrolment, women’s rights and media freedom as reasons to celebrate.

This last gain, in particular, has cast a positive light on the war-torn country, since a vibrant press is a crucial indicator of a strong democracy.

On the sidelines of an Open Society Foundation (OSF) panel in New York entitled ‘Afghanistan’s Next Generation’, IPS correspondent Alexander Chaves sat down with panelist Parwiz Kawa, editor-in-chief of Hasht e Subh Daily, Afghanistan’s leading newspaper, to discuss how new laws and communications technology have come together to strengthen the media landscape as the country prepares for a new era.

Excerpts from the interview follow.

Q: What is the legal landscape like for media practitioners?

A:  In accordance with the constitution, Afghanistan has a mass media law…that is much stronger than the laws in any other country in the region, including Pakistan, Iran, China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and others. The law recognises the importance of the freedom of expression, and does not seek to censor journalists. That has been the main reason for the media’s progress…in the last 12 years.

Q: What does this law look like in practice?

A: In a legal sense, the environment for media practitioners is good, but…we continue to experience problems because those in power – mostly warlords – do not respect the law. Also Afghanistan is still a war zone, so as reporters we see a lot of violence, either by the government or insurgent groups.

Q: Has new technology enhanced the media sector?

A: In the last ten years major efforts have been made to establish and expand new media initiatives. For instance, some TV channels are trying to attract the attention of their viewers through text messaging services and encourage their audience to participate in programmes using SMS. Merging television and communication technology has had a positive effect on the community.

Q: Do media outlets effectively reach people of different linguistic backgrounds?

A: Yes. The media is fully aware of the need to diversify its programming in order to attract a diverse audience. Some TV channels broadcast their programmes in the Pashto language, some stations reach a Persian-speaking audience, and we have radios and newspapers that cater to linguistic minorities in Afghanistan. The market is growing, so attracting a large audience is one of the most important elements for the success of the media sector.