Around 30 media outlets began activities in past 2 years: Ministry

KABUL (TOLOnews): The Ministry of Information and Culture said that nearly 30 media organizations have been established since the Islamic Emirate came to power. The MoIC said that efforts are underway to increase efforts to solve the challenges of the media across the country. “After the Islamic Emirate came to power, between 25 to 30 various media organizations resumed their activities. Most of them are radio stations and are active in different areas of the country,” said Hayatullah Mahajar Farahi, deputy of the MoIC. Meanwhile, the media-supporting organizations said that nearly 300 media organizations have stopped their activities within this period across the country. 50 percent of them were closed because of economic challenges. “Nearly 50 percent of the media shut down within this period. More than 50 percent of them are active,” said Masroor Lutfi, head of Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union. Meanwhile, the journalists expressed concerns that they are struggling with dire economic conditions and urged the interim government to help them. “The suspension of many TV and radio media organizations have been due to economic challenges. The Islamic Emirate should offer support in this regard with a reduction of taxes, giving low prices of licenses and etc…,” said Mohammad Daud Mubrak Oghlo, a journalist. “The journalists have faced various problems. If the MoIC and the Islamic Emirate government are not supportive of the media, the media organizations may collapse,” said Mustafa Sharyar, a journalist. Based on the ANJU, nearly 80 TV channels, 200 radio stations, nearly 10 news agencies and 14 printing media organizations are currently active in Afghanistan.