Fear runs through Afghanistan’s ‘hazardous’ media landscape

By KATHY GANNON
Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Journalists in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan say they operate in a climate of fear and uncertainty. Since taking power six months ago, the Taliban have issued directives admonishing journalists to adhere to Islamic principles when reporting. Some journalists have been detained, interrogated and beaten. The Committee to Protect Journalists says it’s not clear yet whether this amounts to a systematic campaign or random actions by Taliban officials with a grudge. The advocacy group says it is concerned that Taliban intelligence officials are becoming more “hands-on” and have increasingly been implicated in arrests and disappearances. In a bright spot, women now outnumber men in the newsroom of the country’s largest TV station.