The mass media in Afghanistan is monitored by the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC), and includes broadcasting, digital and printing. It is mainly in Dari and Pashto, the official languages of the nation. It was reported in 2019 that Afghanistan had over 107 TV stations and 284 radio stations, including 100s of print media and over 1,800 online media outlets. After the return of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in 2021, there was a concern that the mass media will significantly decrease in the country. The number of digital media outlets is steadily increasing with the help of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and other such online platforms. IEA's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid suggested that the media should be in line with Sharia and national interests.
Media history
The first newspaper, Shams-i Nahar (Morning Sun) was published in 1873 during the rule of Sher Ali Khan.
Another newspaper, Siraj-ul-Akhbar (Lamp of the News) was initially published on January 11, 1906, with Abdul-Rauf as editor. After this first and only issue in Persian language, its publication stopped. It was revived in October 1911 by Mahmud Tarzi, the editor and owner of the newspaper who was critical of the friendship between the British Empire and Afghanistan. Mahmud Tarzi became known as the pioneer of Afghan journalism, in 1916 he famously wrote: "Siraj Al Akhbar Afghaniya is neither British, nor Russian nor French nor Italian nor German nor Chinese or Japanese. It is a Muslim newspaper and, in that, it is specifically an Afghan newspaper. Whatever it says, whatever melody it sings, is from an Afghan point of view and stems from the tone of Afghan national dignity." In 1919, under King Amanullah Khan, Aman-i-Afghan (Afghan Peace) replaced Siraj al-Akhbar, serving as an organ of the government, while several smaller private journals appeared under different ministries. Along with these developments, Radio Kabul began broadcasting in 1925, which inaugurated a new era of mass media in the country. The 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan and the Press Law of 1965 provided for freedom of the press, within the boundaries of appropriate behavior. The 1960’s saw a rapid growth of television services around the world, including most developing countries. The conceptual foundation of Television in Afghanistan to improve literacy rate and specific technical recommendation for initial launch was first published in 1967 by Dr. Hafiz Sahar, Chief Editor of national morning newspaper, in his academic work in New York University. It was not until 1978, due to political instability in 1970’s, that the first TV channel was launch in Kabul with a grant aid from Japan. The press was editorially independent from government but was instructed to safeguard the interests of the state and constitutional monarchy, Islam, and public order. Afghan journalism progressed and developed from the 1950s through to the 1970s, though it remained limited.
When King Zahir Shah's government was overthrown in the 1973 coup by his cousin Daoud Khan, approximately 19 newspapers were shut down and media came under severe restriction, ending a period of relative freedom. The first color television broadcasting appeared in 1978. The media fell into the control of Soviet influences during the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1992.
In the late 1990s, media under the Taliban government was characterized by strict media laws, including the banning of television. The Taliban instigated the destruction of television sets in 1998. People caught with a television in their homes were subject to monetary fines, flogging, or imprisonment. Most media operated from other countries, except for a small area in northern Afghanistan, which had its own television service called Badakhshan Television. It broadcast news and films for around 5,000 viewers for three hours a day. All television stations had been shut down by order of the Taliban, and printed newspapers were forbidden to publish commentary, photos, or readers letters. The radio stations under Taliban control broadcast nothing other than religious programs and selected news. Around 70% of the population listened to its broadcasts. In 2000, the Taliban government launched The Islamic Emirate, an English-language newspaper designed to counteract information produced by the "enemies of Islam". Only Russia, Czech Republic and Serbia had news bureaus based in Kabul due to instability. The Kabul TV center was converted into a military barracks, and journalists were not permitted to work with foreign media. The media environment remained bleak until the overthrow of the Taliban government in late 2001.