Kabul

Nearly 80 per cent of Afghan journalists changed their profession since the Taliban seized power in the country in August last year, the Journalists' Foundation of Afghanistan has said.

The Foundation said that Afghan Journalists are going through the worst economic situation as 79 per cent of them have lost their jobs and have been forced to take up other professions to make money and survive, reported The Khaama Press. Prior to that, statistics have shown that up to 75 per cent of media in Afghanistan have been shut due to financial woes.

"Since the fall of the (former) government, six radio stations have been closed in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman, Nuristan--five of them halted their operations due to economic challenges and another one stopped because of the lack of its employee--who was female," Tolo News quoted Yousuf Zarifi, head of the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee in eastern Afghanistan as saying.

Findings of the Foundation indicate that 91 per cent of Afghan journalists are satisfied from having chosen the profession while only 8 per cent are not happy, reported The Khaama Press.

A total of 462 journalists, including 72 women across Afghanistan took part in the survey.

Some journalists expressed concerns over their economic status, saying that they had lost their jobs as many media outlets recently halted operations, reported Tolo News.

The Foundation’s survey found that journalists are going through the worst phase of their lives due to the fragile economic situation.

The Foundation called on the International Community and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to address the economic situation of the Afghan journalists.

A survey conducted by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) showed that since August, 40 per cent of media outlets in Afghanistan have ceased operating, and 80 per cent of women journalists and media workers have become unemployed due to restrictions, reported Tolo News.

"A total of 231 media outlets have had to close and more than 6400 journalists have lost their jobs since 15 August. Women journalists have been hit the hardest, with four out of five no longer working," the survey said.