Journalists in Afghanistan

Afghan journalists are “absolutely petrified, particularly women journalists,” as the Taliban regains control of Afghanistan, CNN’s Clarissa Ward reports on “Reliable Sources.” Ward says these “courageous” journalists know that “they’re big targets because they have been so outspoken against the Taliban in the past.”

Kate Banville at The Guardian:

When president Ashraf Ghani slipped out of Afghanistan with no warning, he took with him any glimpse of hope left for the nation’s women – especially those who are educated and outspoken. Aaisha* is that and more. As a prominent news anchor and political talk show host, she has watched her life’s efforts crumble in what felt like seconds. “For many years, I worked as a journalist … to raise the voice of Afghans, especially Afghan women, but now our identity is being destroyed and nothing has been done by us to deserve this,” Aaisha said on Monday. “In the last 24 hours, our lives have changed and we have been confined to our homes, and death threatens us at every moment.“We see silence filled with fear of the Taliban around us.” Female Afghan journalists tell of a once free and bustling Kabul now filled with silence and fear as they destroy traces of their identity and work to avoid Taliban militants.