Overview of CCI's Support to the Kandahar Press Club for Investigative Journalism Training

The Community Cohesion Initiative (CCI) funded the Kandahar Press Club to empower young journalists to contribute to fair and unbiased investigative reporting. This initiative aims to improve the quality of Kandahar City's media and advance public understanding of current events and the role of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). Since 2002, Afghan media has experienced exponential growth. However, the number of GIRoA and Taliban media campaigns has also increased, requiring civil society, international organizations, and journalists to apply greater analytical skills to reporting and information gathering at both national and provincial levels. In Kandahar Province, journalism styles vary from verbatim reporting of press releases to sensational interpretations of events. Many journalists and news consumers recognize that accurate reporting often lies somewhere in the middle. The Kandahar Press Club represents an important outlet and source of information on best practice for Kandahar's journalists. The club has been working to further invest in its membership through training with a specific focus on investigative journalism. Assistant Chairman of the Kandahar Press Club and reporter for Radio Free Europe, Bashir Ahmad Sali, stated that the journalists in Kandahar broadcast basic reports and have almost no familiarity with investigative journalism. Providing training will be an excellent way to enhance overall investigative reporting skills, particularly with the recent launch of the new journalism faculty at Kandahar University. Eighteen journalists attended sessions on journalism ethics and standards, interviewing techniques, research tools development, and learning different methods of analytical reporting. The trainees then visited local government offices in the District Center to witness GIRoA officials interacting with their constituents. These exercises encouraged trainees to observe and record such interactions and apply newly acquired journalism skills to prepare and present their individual findings back to their class and tutors. Well-trained investigative journalists have the potential to further transform Afghanistan's dynamic media landscape and meaningfully contribute to expanding international news demands. The Kandahar Press Club has been lobbying media organizations to consider the trainees for future employment. Radio Television Afghanistan, Tolo TV, and Radio Killid attended the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, covering the events. The initiative aims to increase investigative journalism capacity in Kandahar, enabling journalists to tackle topics such as local political corruption or drug trafficking, which are often covered by international media outlets.