A diverse and healthy media sector is indispensable in ensuring transparency, public trust, and good governance, but in Afghanistan there is steady erosion of a free and independent media, UN envoy Roza Otunbayeva said on Saturday marking the World Press Freedom Day.“World Press Freedom Day stands as a crucial reminder of the essential role journalists and media play in Afghanistan.
They are the foundation of an informed and vibrant society, and their role must be protected,” Otunbayeva said in a statement released by UNAMA.Afghanistan’s media sector has been hit by faced a sharp decline in revenue linked to the country’s economic crisis, which has forced numerous outlets to close.
In addition, significant restrictions have been enforced by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities, with media professionals facing threats, arrests and detention, and torture and ill-treatment, with women journalists being especially hard hit by disproportionate risks and barriers, UNAMA said.Afghanistan is also not immune to the challenges brought by the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the theme for 2025’s World Press Freedom Day commemorations.“AI presents significant risks: it can be misused to reproduce misinformation, spread disinformation, amplify hate speech, enable new forms of censorship and surveillance of journalists and citizens, creating a chilling effect on freedom of expression,” said UNESCO Representative in Afghanistan, Patricia McPhillips.“This means national and international cooperation is all the more essential,” said McPhillips.UNAMA’s concern about the media situation in Afghanistan comes at a time when the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly emphasized that it is committed to press freedom within the framework of Islamic and national values.The post Steady erosion of free media in Afghanistan continues: UN envoy first appeared on TINS News.