The development of the media system and the emergence of public spheres in Afghanistan can be described by several interdependent factors. On the one hand, processes of social transformation and democratisation can be observed. On the other hand, the liberalisation of the media market has led to a fragmentation of public spheres, which correlates with an increased fragility of social and state structures. Topics under discussion will include the consequences of media liberalization in Afghanistan, a nation characterized by deep ethnic and religious divisions and limited state authority. The conference will also scrutinize the role and influence of external paradigms in Media Development Cooperation (MDC) on Afghanistan’s media structures. A critical assessment will be conducted to ascertain whether external strategies primarily lead to an expansion of media outlets or indeed foster a qualitatively diverse media landscape.

By leveraging insights from Afghan scholars, journalists, and policymakers, the conference aims to enrich the European discourse on Afghanistan and deliver a substantive contribution to the field of communication studies.

Questions of Conference:

1. What role has the media system in Afghanistan potentially played in the collapse of the state?
2. How can media systems in fragile states promote social change without exacerbating public fragmentation?
3. To what extent have Media Development Cooperations (MDCs) integrated local knowledge into their approaches?

The conference consists of three parts:

• At the macro level, we will discuss the structure of the Afghanistan media system, how media governance in Afghanistan has emerged and functioned, and what problems it has had.
• At the meso level, we will critically discuss media laws and procedures and their strengths and weaknesses.
• We will examine stakeholders’ roles on a micro level, including those who support and challenge the media.