Taliban Controlled Media in Afghanistan: An Ongoing Battle
Former Taliban fighters returning arms. | Creative Commons Image
Ping. The sound of phones ring people awake. Emails from overbearing bosses, texts from friends or the newest TikTok trend keeps Americans moving. However, while keyboard warriors go about their day sharing opinions and teens post the same dance for the hundredth time, the media in Afghanistan is not so caught up— or so people thought. The reemergence of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the fear of oppression has shown how integral the internet is to the group this time around.
When the Taliban first took power in 1996, the already socially absent country went completely dark. Citizens had their phones, televisions and radios confiscated. Now the Taliban wants to take a different approach. The Taliban wants to promote their new lifestyle on the internet while still creating limitations such as censoring TV. The most popular and private television network has replaced Turkish soap opera with programs that appease Taliban leaders. These programs do not contradict Islamic laws. Leaders promise that they do not want to oppress women but want to see them progress. Women are persisting in their work while navigating restrictions such as working for media outlets in such a conservative society. A female anchor for Tolo News, Behishta Arghand, was at work when a Taliban official walked into the studio and sat down for an interview. This occurrence was the Taliban’s first sign that they were attempting to soften their extremist reputation from past years. But it did not work. Arghand fled to Qatar like many other journalists.
Arghand’s flight is not surprising considering Afghanistan has been dangerous for journalists for so long. Between the years of 2001 and 2018, 53 journalists were killed and 33 of them were in 2018 alone. In recent weeks, a journalist, Ziar Khan Yaad, who works for Tolo was attacked while filming a report about the nation’s economy after the Taliban takeover. While standing outside of the Haji Yaqub Mosque, he and his two workers were beaten, then had their phones, cameras and other equipment taken from them. Yaad was one of the four attacks that week. This forced a spokesman for the Taliban to come forth reassuring the public that they will investigate this matter. According to their statement, they will allow private media to continue to run and criticisms about their work to be aired freely.
The U.S. did not create a democracy in the country, but left behind a thriving press. In 2002, a substantial amount of money was granted to launch Tolo, the news media that Arghand and Yaad worked for. The network was the most-viewed private network in the country. Because of this press, the Taliban has launched their own social media campaign. Their accounts boast about their victories, garners support and sheds light on the Afghan government’s shortcomings. Instead of fighting against modern technology, they’ve decided to build a platform for their message. Taliban leader Zabihullah Mujahid currently has over 371,000 followers. The group, in efforts to gain legitimacy on the international stage, has begun to publicly promote leaders previously left in the dark. The Taliban is projecting an image of peace that directly conflicts with broadcasts around the world.
Roya Heydari, a photojournalist who fled, says that she believes the Taliban can still turn things around for the good if they keep their promises. If the Taliban can assure that women can return to work without fear, then Heydari will return to the nation to tell their stories.
As journalists continue to evacuate, this story of the Taliban takeover will have only one storyteller. It’s up to the Taliban to share their truth… or not.