Ministry of Information and Culture blocks reporters’ access to information
A huge number of reporters including local journalists and who have been to Ghazni from Kabul or other nighbouring provinces in order to cover the ceremony of naming Ghazni the capital of Islamic civilization, complain that government officials have not let them to enter the ceremony hall.
Even the journalists who had been invited by Ministry of Information and Culture from Kabul were among those rejected reporters.
Apparently the ONE TV channel had sponsored live telecast of the ceremony, therefore, reporters from other media outlets were prevented.
It’s common in todays media market that one or more media sponsor an event, but the monopoly of Ghazni event’s media coverage couldn’t be like that.
Afghanistan National Journalists’ Union (ANJU) believes that the Ministry should have considered that if there was any sponsorship agreement between ONE TV channel and the Ministry itself, for live telecast of the event, then it should have only prevented other live telecasts. It was not fair to prevent other media outlets from coverage.
ANJU considers today’s behaviour of Ministry of Information and Culture officials with reporters against all applicable laws in the country and aks the President and National Assabmly to punish the offenders.
ANJU also asks other journalist, media and freedom of speech support organizations, especially the Afghanistan Journalist Federation to stand against this illegal behaviour and compel the offenders to apologize those reporters who have been to Ghazni for media coverage of the national event and were rejected.
Afghanistan national Journalists’ Union
