In Reporters Without Borders’ world press freedom rankings, Afghanistan is ranked 122nd out of 180 countries, and on Freedom House’s global map it is classified as a non-free country. Restrictive laws, threats and terrorist attacks seriously undermine freedom of information, in a situation of political and economic instability made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. From a single Taliban radio station, Shariat Ghag (Voice of Sharī’a), there are now 163 radio stations, 74 television stations and 85 newspapers, magazines and websites in