"The development of media in post-Taliban Afghanistan has been relatively successful (compared with both the Taliban regime and other countries subject to international intervention) in establishing free and responsible expression despite the lack of electricity, harsh terrain, absence of viable med ... ia outlets during the Taliban regime, and a conservative religious society that subordinates women. However, Afghanistan’s media development remains incomplete. Since it still faces many challenges, the international community must continue to assist and support it. Three main processes contributed to Afghanistan’s initial media success: the proliferation of local media, especially radio; the government’s increased capacity to communicate; and international media that filled gaps that otherwise might have become problematic. This three-pronged approach in Afghanistan may provide useful lessons for other societies emerging from conflict." (Summary) more

"This report [...] recommends that interveners take the following series of steps as they generate a strategy for media development in post-conflict zones. Predeployment Phase: Mapping and Strategizing: map out the existing media landscape; identify the postwar condition of the media infrastructure, ... media personnel, and other resources that have survived the conflict; assess the history of state-media relations; analyze the potential market for sustainable media; create a strategy for developing media; coordinate all relevant players in media development; identify spoilers and create a plan to isolate extremist voices while elevating moderate ones; plan to establish a responsible media sector before the first postwar elections are held. Deployment Phase: Building and Developing: build a foundation for the media sector; establish a mission-owned outlet to monitor and counter hate speech while promoting peace operations; create a representative media commission to establish media standards; create legal underpinnings for media during the transition or help the government to do so; create media outlets and develop personnel; encourage creation of a diverse array of media outlets and ensure media accessibility by different segments of the population; establish effective on-the-job training programs and mechanisms for evaluating trainees and university-based training programs; create local associations of journalists, publishers, and editors to strengthen leadership and connect local media actors to international media networks. Exit Phase: Transitioning and Sustaining: transition to local control and ensure long-term sustainability; gradually give full control to local media leaders; ensure a robust media market in which private outlets are self-sustaining; create an indigenous mechanism to continue monitoring hate speech." (Summary) more