Ajmal Aand
Journalist, Editorial Leader & Digital Innovation Practitioner
I have spent more than 25 years working across journalism, editorial leadership, multimedia production, digital publishing, and audience engagement.
My professional journey began in the Afghan media environment and included work in Peshawar and Kabul before I moved to Prague, where I spent many years with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Afghan Service, Radio Azadi. Over 23 years at RFE/RL, my responsibilities grew from field reporting and newsroom editing to multimedia journalism and senior editorial and digital leadership.
As Senior News Editor / Digital Lead for Radio Azadi, I worked across radio, web, video, podcasts, social platforms, live programming, newsroom planning, staff development, audience strategy, and digital products. I directly supervised approximately 20 Prague-based employees, worked with the Kabul Bureau through its editors and leadership, and coordinated with provincial reporters and freelancers.
My work has also included writing and literature. I am a Pashto poet, author, translator, and literary writer with five published poetry collections and three recorded translation works.
More recently, I have expanded my work into applied artificial intelligence and digital-product development. My focus is not AI engineering; it is using AI responsibly in media, creative production, multilingual evaluation, product workflows, and human-centered decision making.
I am now based in Northern Virginia and continue to work at the intersection of journalism, digital media, multilingual communication, creative work, and emerging technology.