Afghanistan Activists Urge Use of Social Media to Fight Politics
Free speech activists in Afghanistan launched Twitter and Facebook campaigns on Sunday to fight government media curbs as well as to dispel incorrect information being perpetuated by clashing NATO and Taliban claims. Both NATO and the Taliban have used social media in the past to perpetuate arguments and campaign for individual causes. And Afghani journalists have been pushed against a wall with the government’s new, strict press freedom laws, leaving the public confused about the current state of affairs. Media advocacy groups like Nai have decided to fight back, encouraging the use of social media to provide the public with a more reliable and a somewhat more accessible form of information. In the past, social media has been used to fight conditions like limited women’s rights — a topic the country’s mainstream media can’t easily cover without widespread backlash. “Social media is a free tool to use to transfer information without the influences of the government, warlords, or Talib...