Killing the messengers: Afghan media under fire

We look at the Taliban threat and the future of Afghan journalism; plus, Davos - global news event or PR exercise?



On January 20, journalism in Afghanistan was dealt a killer blow. Seven employees of the country's first ever 24-hour news network, Tolo TV, were killed when the Taliban targeted their bus in a suicide bombing.

Last year, the armed group issued a statement in which it declared Tolo TV and Afghan network 1TV 'military targets'. The threat came in response to the channels' coverage of Taliban's invasion of Kunduz last September.

The stations alleged that fighters had been involved in gang rapes - claims the Taliban denied and cited an "example of propaganda by these satanic networks".

The attack on Tolo TV leaves Afghan journalists between a rock and a hard place with the threat posed by the Taliban exacerbated by pressure from government officials to report on Afghanistan in a way that suits their version of the political and social story - that progress is being made.