The Wire

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has announced the withdrawal of most of Australia’s troops from Afghanistan by the year’s end. But in what state are we leaving the country? The state of free media is often a good indicator of how a society will progress. But many Afghan journalists think that independent media will come under political and financial pressure as the power vacuum is filled in Afghanistan and foreign aid slows down.

The level of optimism for the struggling industry varies from journalist to journalist but it is clear new models will need to be adopted if independent media is to survive in the coming years.