Snap Judgment Last Paper Standing
Apr 2, 2026
Zaki Daryabi, co-founder of Etilaatroz who kept an independent Kabul paper running as the city fell. Fatima Faisi, Afghan reporter who covered women’s rights and packed her life to flee. They recount saving newspapers under threat, choosing what to carry when escaping, the chaos at the airport, and preserving a newsroom’s voice in exile.
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Balcony Promise To Save The Paper
- Zaki gave a balcony speech asking colleagues to either leave or stay and promising to protect the paper and help those who left.
- He framed the newspaper as his "first child," insisting he would save Etilaatroz even if the government collapsed, which rallied staff into teams for evacuation and archives.
Evacuate Archives With Personnel
- Zaki instructed every colleague who left to carry a six-month archive of the paper with them to preserve institutional memory.
- Reporters zipped stacks of physical editions into plastic bags and even used spouses' luggage to evacuate as many issues as possible.
Physical Papers As Proof Of Change
- Etilaatroz combined digital reach and a crafted physical edition, gaining 300,000 digital subscribers and distributing 5,000 papers daily.
- The tactile newspaper served as irreplaceable proof of a changed Afghanistan and a legacy Zaki felt compelled to save.