RASC News Agency: Sebghat Sepehr, a former journalist at TOLOnews, has revealed in an interview with the YouTube channel Farhad Show that Afghanistan’s media industry is largely dominated by favoritism and nepotism rather than professional merit. With years of experience in journalism, Sepehr expressed grave concerns about the deteriorating state of the media landscape in Afghanistan, emphasizing that journalists and media professionals face unjust treatment and an increasingly hostile work environment. Speaking on Farhad Show, he recounted how he was abruptly dismissed from TOLOnews without being given a clear reason. “One day, I went to the TOLOnews office, and a staff member pulled me aside and told me that I had been fired,” Sepehr said.
He added, “A colleague, who was also a friend, informed me that the management had instructed him to collect my TOLOnews ID card. He warned that if I refused to hand it over, security personnel would be called in to confiscate it.” Sepehr, who continued working in Afghanistan even after the Taliban’s takeover, believes that ethnic bias and internal power struggles were significant factors in his dismissal. Although he has never been officially informed of the reason behind his termination, he asserts that Afghanistan’s media industry has become increasingly corrupt, unprofessional, and driven by political and ethnic affiliations rather than journalistic integrity.
Following his dismissal from TOLOnews, Sepehr briefly joined 1TV, only to leave shortly after. He cited mismanagement, financial instability, and unpaid salaries as key reasons for his departure. Concerns over press freedom in Afghanistan have been mounting, with numerous reports highlighting the worsening conditions for journalists and the lack of ethical workplace practices. Sepehr’s experience further underscores the broader crisis gripping the Afghanistan media industry, where professionals increasingly find themselves disempowered, silenced, and subjected to institutionalized discrimination.
