As with everything else about the Taliban's policies and practices, it will be very interesting to see how the media is allowed to operate within Afghanistan going forward. It's been over two decades since the Taliban last ran the country – there will have been considerable churn in terms of organisational leadership at every level within the Taliban during that time, and it will be interesting to see how changes in both media and technology over that span may have changed (or not) their perceptions and approach. I've been thinking a lot about the significance of mobile phones and social media in 2021 compared to 2001 – much of the video we've seen in the last few days, from ordinary Kabul streets to chaos at airports, has come from ordinary Afghans posting on Snapchat and other platforms. They, in turn, will have had far easier access to potentially-influential international media (not just news) through the internet than was conceivable in 2001. The same may be true for the Taliban.
It will be very interesting to see what impact all of this has on the Taliban's presumed regime going forwards. Will its leaders be more concerned about the potential for popular uprisings influenced and organised through social media, a la the Arab Spring? Or are the promises to television cameras and western journalists of a more tolerant doctrine merely performative? How truly tolerant will such a regime be towards foreign journalists, for example, who report things the Taliban don't like? Lots of unknowns, but it reaffirms how important the international/foreign media will be going forwards in helping to expose abuses and atrocities within the country.
<t></t>
Kate Adie needs to come out of retirement, she would be in her element reporting on all this
Obviously don’t want to dilute her coverage, as I think what Yalda delivered on Sunday was outstanding. But I notice from a tweet she was in fact wearing ripped jeans whilst providing the coverage. As I say, just thought I’d mention it.
