This is a brief overview of Media in Afghan society during and after the fall of Taliban regime during the strict Islamic rule of Taliban, there only one radio station named Radio Sharia was operating which merely broadcasted religious program and covered up some news. Television was banned as they looked at television as something morally bad. This is Taliban’s concept of Media; especially Television. It does not relate to Islam and it is cults.
There were very far and few between newspapers that also focused on Sharia law and whatever were recommended from Taliban Gov. indeed they were very restricted and tightly controlled by Taliban that weren’t able to reflect the facts of the current trend and respond to the need of people at all.
Fortunately after the fall of Taliban regime and establishment of democratic government in Afghanistan numbers of private and governmental media from television to print, electronic media and radio started out activity one after another and day by day the number of media increased in a positively amazing rate as Afghanistan government consider the freedom of press and expression as their greatest achievement in 9 years and always speaks of that proudly.
Now in Afghanistan more than 30 television channels, more than 300 radio stations and 300 cables T.V. are active and broadcasting variety of programs
Nearly 1000 print media along with several news agencies are proceeding and numbers of electronic media from international to local are actively operating.
According to the Definition of Media, it is a tool for disseminating messages to the target audience. Media rolling out such as educating, organizing, orienting and even agitating people to the predefined destination; in another word, Media as a tool run by human to bring some changes in existing tradition that is not worth nowadays. And Media is a Message itself, according to Marshal McLuhan.
Media plays a significant role also in Afghanistan in both sides_ as a message itself and conveyer of messages. Growth of media after collapse of Taliban Regime and restart of Democratic Government brought about some substantial changes in the way people think and live.
For instance: There is some inelegance such as chattel marriage, not widow remarriage and so many myths among the people in the society that are being looked at as values and people are faithful to them; there is sometimes discrimination (Gender and Class) in the country between citizens and even there are some times misinterpretation from religion by some religion leader which causes some problem in the society.
Malformations or oppressions existing in many countries are against human rights. Execution of people because of a trivial crime , the wrong notion that women should stay at home and take care of housework and children; men are leaders and women are subordinate; child ordeal and so on.
These traditions exist in a community even in a modern country but in different forms and methods; what is important to step up? Bringing changes to the social constructed behavior, needs time; on the other hand, to get desirable and expected result, it is necessary to step up gradually throughout media.
Media countering miss concepts and inelegances
It is very important to have tools and instruments for getting the purposes. In case of social affairs, media is the most effective medium. Mass media can inform, educate, organize, orient, and bring changes and so on. Media defiance inelegances; and malformation or unworthy general rules which defiance media.
It was a general rule or a kind of notion that ask girls not to go to school, women cannot go to office and wear Burqa(especial scarf that cover head, face and half of women body) especially under Taliban Regime. Major subjects of schools related to the religion and teachers were Mullah or Islamic Clergy.
After collapse of extremist government in Afghanistan, Medias started campaign for persuading families to send their daughter to schools. More than 8 million girls and boys out of 30 million populations, go to school right now. About 40% are girl students.
. Women never used to write petition to the court in the past; because of tradition that makes women feel embarrassed, she was afraid of sarcasm in her society; where she lives in. Majority of educated women complain against oppression and discrimination in her community right now. It was not possible unless media outlets activities.
Politics roles
As it is usual all around the world, politicians in Afghanistan react or act on important issues. A significant example is a debate between presidential candidates in June 29 2009. Hamed Karzai, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Dr. Ramazan Bashrdust and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai were the prominent candidates. Abdullah and Ahmadzai asked Karzai for a debate on Tolo TV (a famous private channel), but Karzai said that no it is against me. Because 98% broadcasts of this channel were against me.
Opposite candidates found it as a weak point of Karzai and recalled him on RTA (National Radio and Television of Afghanistan) that has 100% for Karzai.
Now parliamentary campaign is running in my home country, Afghanistan. Major candidates use media to inform people and explain his or her programmes and policies. They pay to the media to broadcast his/her advertisement, explains their policies, plan and programmes.
Education Role
Afghanistan Independent Human Right Commission disseminates papers against discrimination, racism and some bad tradition none contenting either insulting. During Taliban Regime, women were not allowed to go schools; census show that more than forty percent of 8 million students in Afghanistan are women.
People are illiterate and have good access to the radio than other media in Afghanistan. Educational programmes are broadcasted through radio; and some educational competitions are conducted on TV and Radio.
Many public awareness programmes such as cooking, Health (HIV/AIDS), Laws, Rights, and many educational campaign; are broadcasted by TV channels in famous cities like Kabul, Heart, Kandahar, Nengarhar, and Balkh and so on.
Economy
As it is known that, advertisements grantee the independency of Media Outlets, Media try to do business marketing besides social marketing. Gaining money through out broadcasting and publications of advertisements supports media outlets to be financially, self sufficient.
Many entertainment programmes followed with several advertisements are shown on tv even published in printing media and media and electronic media. More than 30 TV channels running on in Kabul supported by merchant and afghan leaders. As chief editor of Tolo TV said journalists, “I am a business man, I know how to run or manage a TV and get profits”. The reason is that, information itself is profitable business in Afghanistan. For example, buying and selling of fresh news is very usual and here it is a programme by the name of Afghan Star, people vote to support their favor singer by SMS. The cost of one SMS is 10 Afghanis and it is exclusive to some telecommunication company and gets them money too because of using of its GSM.
Conclusion
In the end I would like to say that Medias’ role in my country is upper than thousand of charismatic characters that people love very much. Medias inform, orient, educate, mobilize and agitate communities. Especially in my grand country, Afghanistan, Media Outlets play roles as well.
Media is a tool; people are involved in to convey the messages to the audiences. Media can affect a society negatively too. But we have to be optimist and play role as a human being positively; because human run and manage Medias even media itself is a message.
Cardinal Newman said of Napoleon, “he understood the grammar of gunpowder.” He had paid some attention to the media as well; especially the semaphore telegraph gave him a great advantage over his enemies. He is on record that saying that “three hostile Newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets.”
We, especially I are expectfull that quality grow up simultaneously as number of median in Afghanistan. And my great ambitious is promotion and developing my country. Media can play role in this aspect, positively, pragmatically and purposively. Afghan must exploit media for development of their country also.
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