Kabul Weekly goes online
15-05-2008 (Kabul)
Kabul Weekly
(screenshot of the online version)
© Kabul Weekly
Kabul Weekly is a publishing phenomenon: it is the most widely distributed newspaper in Afghanistan, both in the centre and in the provinces. It is now also available online: http://www.kw.af/.
The online version of the newspaper offers latest news, social, economic and feature stories, as well as Afghanistan's image in the international media. In addition, there are some of most popular sections from the paper version: sport, cinema, satire, cartoons, letters from the readers and analytical articles.
"It was UNESCO and the two other organizations (Reporters without Borders and Open Society Institute) which enabled us to survive and to be part of the global village reaching our readers through cyberspace and print," said Fahim Dashty, the Chief Editor of the weekly.
UNESCO’s International Programme for Development of Communication (IPDC) made Kabul Weekly to run with the total amount of $20,000 USD while the newspaper was suspended, for the third time, due to a financial problem in 2007. In 1993, UNESCO had already granted $12,000 to keep the paper running.
Ghullam Haidar, 45, teacher in a school and the newspaper's reader, sais: "I really enjoy reading Kabul Weekly. The news stories are tightly written, so that you can take in all the key facts quickly. I buy the weekly every Thursday in the morning while I go to school and would like to have an Internet access to also read it online".
Kabul Weekly is an independent newspaper that was launched in 1991, but was closed in 1994 after it published an article accusing the government. The newspaper restarted its circulation immediately after the fall of the Taliban and since then has been the main newspaper read by the Afghan people. The Kabul Weekly is published once a week, on Wednesday, in English, Dari and Pashto. It has a circulation of 10,000. It is one of the Afghan newspapers that publishes many articles in English (besides Daily Outlook Afghanistan, The Kabul Times and Afghanistan Times) and, therefore, attracts both local and foreign readers.
"It was UNESCO and the two other organizations (Reporters without Borders and Open Society Institute) which enabled us to survive and to be part of the global village reaching our readers through cyberspace and print," said Fahim Dashty, the Chief Editor of the weekly.
UNESCO’s International Programme for Development of Communication (IPDC) made Kabul Weekly to run with the total amount of $20,000 USD while the newspaper was suspended, for the third time, due to a financial problem in 2007. In 1993, UNESCO had already granted $12,000 to keep the paper running.
Ghullam Haidar, 45, teacher in a school and the newspaper's reader, sais: "I really enjoy reading Kabul Weekly. The news stories are tightly written, so that you can take in all the key facts quickly. I buy the weekly every Thursday in the morning while I go to school and would like to have an Internet access to also read it online".
Kabul Weekly is an independent newspaper that was launched in 1991, but was closed in 1994 after it published an article accusing the government. The newspaper restarted its circulation immediately after the fall of the Taliban and since then has been the main newspaper read by the Afghan people. The Kabul Weekly is published once a week, on Wednesday, in English, Dari and Pashto. It has a circulation of 10,000. It is one of the Afghan newspapers that publishes many articles in English (besides Daily Outlook Afghanistan, The Kabul Times and Afghanistan Times) and, therefore, attracts both local and foreign readers.
Boys selling Kabul Weekly
© Pouya Kandahari
Related themes/countries
· Afghanistan
· News Archives: 2008
· Freedom of Expression: News Archives 2008
· Media in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations: News Archives 2008
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- UNESCO
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