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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Dear colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="Pa6" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">“<i>I wouldn’t have left, if I felt there was freedom of speech for me</i></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">,<span style="color:black">”
</span></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">said an Afghan journalist from Kabul who now lives in the US. He is one of the interviewees in a study on media freedom in Afghanistan conducted by DW
Akademie together with the organization Nai Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Pa6" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
The results from the study show the extent of the Afghan media sector’s breakdown. During the research period in early 2022, the two organizations conducted a </span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/afghan-media-sector-faces-economic-collapse/a-61327013" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;text-decoration:none">multilingual
online survey</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">, as well as semi-structured focus group discussions with media professionals from different provinces in Afghanistan. Nine exiled Afghan journalists
were also interviewed. They had fled to countries in Asia, Europe, and North America after the Taliban seized power.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">The discussion paper can now be accessed on DW Akademie's #mediadev web resource:</span><span lang="EN-US">
</span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/blacked-out-media-freedom-under-the-taliban/a-62053751"><span lang="EN-US">https://www.dw.com/en/blacked-out-media-freedom-under-the-taliban/a-62053751</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">It highlights an ever-worsening situation for female journalists, a massive economic crisis within the media, and an almost total censorship of political debate.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Respondents also shared clear recommendations for the support of media and media professionals in Afghanistan by international actors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:black">Please share the report with interested colleagues and in your respective networks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Elena Zondler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060;mso-fareast-language:DE">Elena Zondler</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:DE"><br>
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:DE">Project Manager</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:DE"><br>
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:DE">Policy and Learning<br>
<br>
DW (Deutsche Welle)<span style="color:#0080FF"> | </span>Voltastr. </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:DE">6<span style="color:#0080FF"> |
</span>13355 Berlin<span style="color:#0080FF"> | </span>Germany<br>
</span><a href="mailto:elena.zondler@dw.com"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue;mso-fareast-language:DE">elena.zondler@dw.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:DE"><br>
<br>
</span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/dw-akademie/about-us/s-9519"><span style="color:blue;mso-fareast-language:DE;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="520" height="75" style="width:5.4166in;height:.7777in" id="Bild_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D87C1B.21E1B170"></span></a><span style="mso-fareast-language:DE"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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