Khushnood Nabizada is a renowned journalist and media entrepreneur who founded Khaama Press in 2010 in response to the severe gap in English reporting from Afghanistan. Under his leadership, Khaama Press became a revolutionary news platform that targeted internet, social media, and telecom users through a professional, dynamic, and user-friendly website that was well integrated with social media platforms. In addition, the organization partnered with Afghan telecommunication companies to reach telecom users through SMS push services, which included a feature to notify people to avoid dangerous areas and stay safe during attacks.
Khushnood’s vision for Khaama Press was not just to provide news but to promote active citizenship and safety of the most vulnerable, the public and journalists alike. This was evident in the SMS news feature, which was also a great tool to notify journalists to avoid dangerous areas when reporting. Under his leadership, Khaama Press trained dozens of male and female journalists in journalism, reporting, blogging, and social media postings.
Despite the challenging circumstances in Afghanistan, including financial and political crises, Khaama Press remained operational in the country, thanks to Khushnood’s unwavering commitment to independent and non-political journalism. He refused to shut down or relocate Khaama’s office overseas as dozens of other media outlets did, and even after he faced an assassination attempt, he continued to lead Khaama Press and kept it surviving and thriving.
Khaama Press is one of the few established media outlets in Afghanistan with a long history that remained in the country despite huge pressures to close down the media. Thanks to Khushnood’s hard work and dedication, Khaama Press is an independent and non-political news organization that managed to survive as a self-reliant and financially independent organization throughout its life, making a significant contribution to the media landscape in Afghanistan.