March 2008

Internews Afghanistan

Dear Friend,

Earlier this month, we celebrated International Women's Day. Afghanistan's female journalists face unique cultural constraints, but those who choose this career also tend to be exceptionally courageous, strong women. In this issue of our monthly newsletter, we introduce you to Radio Sahar, a pioneering women's radio station and to Azima Jalil, a brave investigative journalist.

Warm regards,

Vanessa Johanson
Afghanistan Country Director
Internews Network

Radio Station Destroyed by Fire

Radio Zafar, an independent community radio station established in Paghman District, Kabul province by Internews Network, was destroyed by fire, possibly arson, in the early hours of March 28. Internews will help them get back on the air as soon as possible.

Women's Radio Station is One of the Most Popular in Herat

Morgan Williams/Internews Estorai Karimi is a producer at Radio Sahar, a women-run station in Herat

How does a small women’s station survive in a large Afghan city? “It’s not as hard as it seems,” says Sima Ahmadi, the acting manager of Sahar Radio, in Herat, Afghanistan’s western hub. “We were the first independent radio station to set up in Herat, and earned a loyal audience early on. We are a women-run station but we air programs that appeal to different audiences - women, youth and so on. We don’t have a marketing department – quite often the advertisers come to us.”

Radio Sahar just celebrated International Women’s Day by airing daily messages about women’s rights and special coverage of Women’s Day events across the city. The station was established in 2003 with assistance from IMPACS and Internews, and now broadcasts thirteen hours a day.

Radio Sahar broadcasts in a competitive environment. Herat boasts at least 11 other radio stations, including national broadcasters and local stations. Television stations also continue to mushroom in Herat, with around eight stations currently broadcasting locally. Iranian entertainment and religious programs beam in from across the border.

Despite the competition, research shows that Radio Sahar is the 5th most popular station in the city, outranking larger national broadcasters.

Radio Sahar’s modest 2nd story premises in downtown Herat is immaculately organized, with programming schedules, staff rosters, pigeon holes and neat files. “We’ve been to media outlets run by men,” Estorai Karimi jokes, “They are a lot messier and noisier.”

Of the station’s sixteen staff, only four are men. However, it is the male staff who deal with many of the technical issues emerging at the station. A survey of women broadcasters carried out by Nai, Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan at the end of 2007 showed that while women’s voices are increasingly on-air, and women journalists are increasingly engaged in field reporting, women’s technical capacity at radio stations remains minimal. In response, Nai plans to carry out technical training for women broadcasters like Radio Sahar.

Azima Jalil: a Leading Light in Afghan Media

Azima Jalil is a working investigative journalist in Afghanistan, who has received death threats for a story she is working on. She is also a journalism trainer with the Centre for International Journalism based in Kabul. She believes that journalists have the opportunity to help society look at its problems. "In any other profession you are able to find the problems relating to that profession and try and fix them. As a journalist you can find answers and problems amongst a range of issues."

Azima has been a journalist for over 10 years, juggling her career with her family responsibilities. "Women with families face a lot of problems when they want to work, men make their own decisions and do not need permission to do as they wish. Without the support of my husband and family I could never do what I do."

In February, Azima took part in Internews' intensive investigative journalism course funded by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime. From the original thirty journalists in the course, Azima was among fifteen selected to continue on to advanced training.

"I have been working as an investigative journalist for many years but after taking this course I found a new way to conduct my investigations. I learned that if I plan to get documents and sources before I begin my investigation the process becomes much easier and more organized."

Azima is currently working on a story – the subject of which she does not want to disclose.

"When investigating my current story I have received threatening phone calls. The caller says, 'Don’t follow this story, there will be trouble for you.' They have even threatened my family, saying 'if you do not care about yourself, you must care about your children, we can even touch them.' The majority of the threats are on the phone, but people have come to the house and asked for me. Luckily I haven’t been at home and they have left without causing any problems, but they know where I live and that frightens me."

Azima, however is not deterred.

"I don’t want to be a bad example to younger journalists, I want to be brave and show them we are not scared. Investigative journalism is a new concept in Afghanistan; we have to promote it so that the next generation of journalists follows us. I don’t want the day to come when people quit their jobs because of fear. If everyone gives up, this type of journalism will be forgotten in Afghanistan. This is a struggle in which everyone should take part. It is about setting old wrongs right, it is about a prosperous future for our country."

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