“Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to the community. “
Simon Mainwaring
DHSA’s public media wing is made of eleven local radio stations (Killid Radio) and two nation-wide magazines (Killid, Mursal, and Sapida seasonal magazine). TKG distributing these magazines in the entire country. TKG also has an editorial policy based on Afghan ownership of the Afghan process. Our core principle is that Afghans have the right to be informed and be heard.
In order to achieve good governance, a culture of accountability and transparency, and to achieve our core principle, we are determined to develop our own focus and style, ruled by high quality, in-depth, timely, accurate, and balanced reporting together with a creative selection of story-ideas. The mission is to enhance public access to critical information, promote civic media, freedom of speech, and open discourse, and raise public awareness through its extensive network of radios, print, and production assets in association with local, national, and international partners.
The public Media wing utilizes a variety of platforms to achieve its mission like book and magazine publishing, civic radios, regular training of TKG, and other Afghan media journalists. The aim is to increase their skills, on human rights and war crimes investigative reporting techniques, production of original web content, co-sponsorship of conferences and workshops on media and development, by giving a consistent platform for voices of reason in Afghanistan to express themselves through our various communication platforms and by making its media resources available within all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
The major components are:
- Broadcast media through radio
- Magazine and book publishing
- Advocacy through strategic public communication, Website, social media?
The Afghan Independent Media Consortium:
The public media wing recently led a substantial initiative; the creation of the Afghan Independent Media Consortium together with Pajhwok Afghan News and Saba Media Organization. Opened to all independent media, at its current stage, the Consortium means almost 60 radios, TV broadcasting facilities in 11 provinces, the main Afghan news provider, Killid’s 3 magazines, and 3 websites. TKG and the Consortium constantly build partnerships with NGOs, research centers, and think-tanks working on the access to justice and human rights, ownership building through surveying the implementation of reconstruction projects, peace-building work throughout the country, etc.
The Killid Group (TKG):
TKG is another initiative of the Public Media wing. The group is composed of 28 local radio stations. DHSA helps these radio stations in their capacity building and sharing knowledge and programs on regular basis. The Radio Killid Network’s unique blend of public service-oriented programming (cultural, political, developmental, and educational programs), news, entertainment, and music reaches millions of listeners and many of its original programs and public service announcements are shared with 28 other affiliated, smaller and financially strapped, community radio stations throughout rural Afghanistan.
Transitional Justice:
TKG is also undertaking the second phase of a “Transitional Justice Project” first launched in 2009-10. This time around the project consists of a public awareness campaign that includes providing communication and advocacy skills to all NGOs working on reconciliation, and to deliver specialized know-how to Editors-in-chief and editors in all Afghan media outlets. We also enjoyed the pride of arranging a 3-day conference on transitional justice in the month of November 2013 in Kabul along with participants from Afghanistan and intellectuals from other countries who also participated in the conference.