A daily diet of domestic conflict and foreign soap operas is leaving Afghans hungry for a different sort of media.

Kabir is having a problem with his local media.

“I feel very happy if I hear that a new school is being built, but I get upset when I hear about suicide attacks and explosions,” said the 27-year-old Kabul resident. “I even lose my appetite and stop eating.”

Many of his neighbors are going through the same thing. They say that the media is making things worse with their constant emphasis on violence and conflict. They would rather hear more about reconstruction and development – positive phenomena that instill optimism rather than anger and fear.

“Television channels should report on economic development to give people hope about the future of the country,” said Mohammad Reza, a shopkeeper in Kabul. He added that a frequent report about security problems is having a very bad effect on his and his children’s minds.

The media in Afghanistan is one of the success stories of the post-Taliban era. Afghanistan now has dozens of private television stations that broadcast a variety of views, as well as many entertainment programs. But the media is coming under more frequent attacks for its role in forming the national psyche. While no one can deny that security in the country has been deteriorating, many Afghans feel that the media is concentrating on the negative and ignoring more optimistic stories – to the detriment of the population.

“There is an urgent need for the broadcast media to think seriously about its obligation to the public,” said Hussein Madani, director of the Afghan Media Reintegration Center. According to Madani, most television stations are airing ineffective programs of low quality. “The media has forgotten its role as educator,” he said. “They have no specific strategy, they concentrate on commercial aspects, and they often have political or religious affiliations that interfere with their mission.”

In addition, the professional level of many media outlets is low, he added, and the lack of professionals means that they are unable to fulfill their role.

“TV channels often prepare their reports based on foreign sources about internal issues of our country,” he said.

Most television outlets in Afghanistan are owned by political and religious leaders. For instance, Noor TV Network, broadcasting from Kabul, belongs to former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, Farda TV Network belongs to MP and political leader, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and Ayana TV belongs to General Dostom, a major political leader.

According to analyst, these TV stations are mostly the mouthpiece of these political leaders and are not committed to ethics of journalism.

Television can be a powerful tool for both good and ill, say analysts. If used incorrectly, it can help to create conflict, foster ethnic or religious discrimination, and encourage bad behavior.

“When a person sees scenes of fighting, suicide attacks and other acts of violence on TV, it has a negative effect on his or her mind,” said Fazel Ahmad, a psychologist and a member of the Afghanistan Academy of Science. “In particular, it has a very serious effect on children and families.”

Most TV channels are regularly airing Iranian or Indian series, which also, according to Ahmad, negatively affect children and young people.

“They see scenes of fighting, assassinations, abuse of elders. They mimic foreign culture as they see it on television, and they start to forget their own culture.”

But broadcast media can play a positive role as well, said Ahmad.

“The broadcast media can play an important role in raising children and young people’s social awareness and ethical standards,” he said. “They should concentrate on producing instructive programs that can help to decrease the level of violence in the society.”

Kabul residents are divided in their opinions.

Jamshid, 28, says he is tired of watching dancing and music programs in TV.

“They have no benefit to the poor,” he said.

But some people have positive view of various programs on television. Many Afghans watch shows such as “Health for All” or “Islamic Culture” on Tolo – one of the most popular of the private television stations, and RTA, a state-run television network. 

But other shows, such as Afghan Model, Waves, and Indian soap operas provoke people’s anger.

Mujahid Kakar, head of the news section for Tolo, denied that Tolo emphasizes negative incidents rather than positive developments.

“TOLO TV covers all relevant information including sport news, economic development, reconstruction/rehabilitation and other important incidents,” he said. He declined to comment on Tolo’s other programming, which includes entertainment shows such as Indian soap operas and music show.

Wahidullah Tawhidi, head of the Media Monitoring Center, said that financial motivations are often behind the decision to air foreign series and music shows.

“There are two main reasons why visual media broadcast foreign series and music,” he said. “First, there are no qualified production companies to produce good programs in Afghanistan; second, TV channels face financial problems. They have commercial advertising during these series to try and solve this problem. But television is for the people. They should not forget this, otherwise they will lose their audience.”

Tawhidi called on the Afghan government and the international community to support domestic production companies, in order to encourage production of quality Afghan programs. “Then television stations will not have to broadcast foreign shows,” he said.

He also pointed out the weakness of reporting on reconstruction and development.

“Reporting about security problems is at a much higher level,” he said.

In the absence of quality television programs, it is up to the family to control what their children are watching, said Fazel Ahmad.

“The family is the child’s training area,” he said. Parents should encourage their children to watch educational programs such as those on traffic regulations, people’s responsibilities during a crisis, help for the disabled, protection of the environment, and other social issues.

In spite of all the criticism, experts say that media has played a positive role over the aast eight years, helping to foster democracy by examining and sometimes criticizing the government and its policies.  If the media continues to develop their role, it will help teer Afghanistan towards a better future.