The government press in Afghanistan, consisting of four main newspapers, is handled by a state directorate in charge of operating the official press in Afghanistan.
Media Assets
Publishing: Hewad Daily, Shariat Daily, Anis Daily, The Kabul Times
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
The government press is subordinated to the Ministry of Information and Culture, which acts as the legal owner of the government-funded newspapers, according to journalists specialized in Afghanistan. In the past few years, after the Taliban’s return, the department was restructured into the Directorate of Government Dailies, with some titles scrapped and new ones added.
Source of funding and budget
The government press is entirely subsidized by the state, which allocates government funding to cover all the expenses incurred by its newspapers. However, following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the newspapers run by the state are in an extremely difficult situation as their funding is running short.
Editorial independence
Being directly subordinated to the Ministry of Information and Culture, the editorial policy of the government press is closely controlled by the authorities.
No domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the independence of the government press in Afghanistan have been identified.
September 2023