[Sanctions-Discuss] Afghanistan

[Niels ten Oever]

Hi all,

On 29-03-2022 11:51, Bill Woodcock wrote:
> The US state department just published this complaint:
> 
> https://www.state.gov/media-access-and-fundamental-freedoms-in-afghanistan/
> 
> “It is with alarm and deep concern we learned of the Taliban’s decision to stifle the Afghan people’s access to independent, objective, international media sources.  Media outlets such as the Voice of America, the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Deutsche Welle have reported that their local broadcasting partners have been prevented from airing their programming in the country due to new, restrictive, and unpublished guidelines from the Taliban."
> 
> I don’t think most people would view the BBC as propaganda.  I’m guessing a few more, but a small minority, would view Deutsche Welle as propaganda.  But I think pretty much everyone agrees that Voice of America is propaganda.

Hmmmm, not so sure. Depends on your definition of propaganda I think. VoAs programming in the Horn of Africa has been very well respected.

Furthermore, I also don't think this is an official sanction, but rather coercion by the Taliban of local radio stations (a very common practice).

Probably easier if we stick the Russia-Ukraine for the moment imho.

Best,

Niels

> 
> So I think this makes for another interesting test case.  My Afghan connections are all on the outside at the moment.  (Hi, Aslam!)  Anybody have any connections there who could figure out whether this was, in fact, “unpublished,” or whether there’s a declared sanction that broadcasters are complying with?
> 
>                                  -Bill
> 
> 
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-- 
Niels ten Oever, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher - Media Studies Department - University of Amsterdam
Affiliated Faculty - Digital Democracy Institute - Simon Fraser University
Non-Resident Fellow 2022-2023 - Center for Democracy & Technology
Associated Scholar - Centro de Tecnologia e Sociedade - Fundação Getúlio Vargas
Research Fellow - Centre for Internet and Human Rights - European University Viadrina

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