PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): The Deputy Minister of Information and Culture held a special meeting with journalists, local media officials, and media representatives in Logar province to discuss the challenges facing the media sector.
During the meeting, Khan Wali Ahmadzai, provincial representative of the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee and Pajhwok reporter, outlined in detail the key issues and needs of journalists and local media outlets in Logar.
He said local media and journalists in the province face multiple challenges, including restricted access to information, economic hardship, high electricity costs, high taxation on media outlets, limited capacity-building opportunities for journalists and government spokespersons, lack of government advertising support for local media, and other obstacles affecting press freedom and media sustainability.
Ahmadzai stressed that the media plays a vital role in raising public awareness, strengthening communication between the public and the government, and reflecting social issues.
However, he warned that economic pressures, lack of technical resources, and limited funding are posing serious threats to the sustainability of the sector.
He urged the Ministry of Information and Culture to give serious attention to the challenges facing journalists and media across the country and to take practical, effective, and sustainable measures to address them.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Mawlawi Qudratullah Jamal assured participants of the government’s commitment to supporting journalists and media outlets nationwide.
He said practical steps would be taken to improve access to information, enhance the capacity of journalists and government spokespersons, and ensure the distribution of government advertisements to local media so they can continue operating effectively and sustainably.
During the meeting, Logar’s Information and Culture Director Mawlawi Sawab Jan Islamyar, along with several local media officials, also confirmed these challenges and called on the ministry to take urgent and practical measures to strengthen local media, ensure their continuity, and support journalists.
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