The World’s State and Public Media Database
We map the funding, governance, ownership, and editorial independence of state and public media worldwide, ranking each broadcaster through a unique classification system that exposes control and influence.
NewGlobal Study 2026 · 2 November 2026
Independent
by Exception
Global Findings of the State Media Monitor 2026
The 2026 edition maps 588 active state and public media entries in 168 jurisdictions. Of these, 493, or 83.8 per cent, are controlled or captured by governments, ruling parties or interests tied to the state.
- For the first time since 2022, independent entries form a majority of the European mapping: 59 of 105.
- Outside Europe, the non-independent share rose for the fourth consecutive cycle, to 92.5 per cent.
- All six entries reclassified out of the independent family in 2026 are outside Europe.
- 588entries mapped
- 168jurisdictions
- 83.8%not independent
- 95independent entries
- 18Independent Public
- 47jurisdictions with an independent entry
588 entries by category, 2026
Controlled or captured: 493Independent: 95
Find a country
168 jurisdictions, each with a country page and the profiles of its state and public media.
At least one independent entryNumbers show the entries mapped in 2026
Where independence stands
Each square is one of the 588 state and public media entries mapped in 2026. 493 answer to a government or to interests tied to the state. Select a category to isolate it.
Data: State Media Monitor 2026, 168 jurisdictions.
Region by region
Share of mapped state and public media that are controlled or captured, 2026. Select a region for its full breakdown.
2026 cycle
Sub-Saharan Africa
98.6%controlled or captured: 143 of 145 entries in 41 jurisdictions
- State-Controlled122
- Captured Public15
- Captured Private6
- Independent State-Funded and State-Managed2
The most tightly controlled region: 143 of 145 entries are non-independent. All eight entries added in 2026 are State-Controlled, and the region now holds a third of the world’s State-Controlled media. The only independent entries are two Ivorian outlets, the publishing house SNPECI and the news agency AIP.
2026 cycle
Middle East and North Africa
97.6%controlled or captured: 83 of 85 entries in 19 jurisdictions
- State-Controlled52
- Captured Public18
- Captured Private13
- Independent State-Funded and State-Managed2
The independent share halved from 4.8 per cent in 2024 to 2.4 per cent after Sky News Arabia was reclassified Captured Public. Only Israel’s Kan and Galatz remain independent. At 36.5 per cent, the region has the highest share of captured media.
2026 cycle
Eurasia
96.7%controlled or captured: 58 of 60 entries in 12 jurisdictions
- State-Controlled48
- Captured Public6
- Captured Private4
- Independent State-Funded and State-Managed1
- Independent State-Funded1
Only Moldova’s Teleradio-Moldova and Ukraine’s Suspilne sit in the independent family. The roster fell from 69 to 60 entries with nine exits and no additions; five Azerbaijani outlets were removed because their ownership or control could not be verified.
2026 cycle
Asia
91.9%controlled or captured: 102 of 111 entries in 26 jurisdictions
- State-Controlled64
- Captured Public28
- Captured Private10
- Independent State-Funded and State-Managed3
- Independent State-Managed2
- Independent Public4
Funding evidence moved 15 outlets, among them Xinhua and Vietnam Television, from State-Controlled to Captured Public; political control over them remains direct. Indonesia’s TVRI and RRI returned to State-Controlled one year after their upgrade.
2026 cycle
Latin America and the Caribbean
83.8%controlled or captured: 57 of 68 entries in 25 jurisdictions
- State-Controlled52
- Captured Public4
- Captured Private1
- Independent State-Funded and State-Managed6
- Independent State-Funded5
The non-independent share has risen in every cycle since 2022, when it stood at 76.9 per cent. Autonomous universities host six of the region’s 11 independent outlets, while Jamaica’s PBC and Mexico’s indigenous-language network SRCI became State-Controlled.
2026 cycle
Europe
43.8%controlled or captured: 46 of 105 entries in 38 jurisdictions
- State-Controlled25
- Captured Public8
- Captured Private13
- Independent State-Funded and State-Managed33
- Independent State-Funded5
- Independent State-Managed9
- Independent Public12
For the first time since 2022, independent entries form a majority: 59 of 105. Six public media were upgraded, including Spain’s RTVE and Czech Radio, and none was downgraded. Nine Hungarian entries left the mapping after the change of government in April 2026.
2026 cycle
Oceania
30.0%controlled or captured: 3 of 10 entries in 5 jurisdictions
- State-Controlled3
- Independent State-Funded and State-Managed3
- Independent State-Funded3
- Independent State-Managed1
Seven of the ten entries are independent, led by the public broadcasters of Australia and New Zealand. The three State-Controlled entries are all in small Pacific states; the 2026 review reclassified the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation as State-Controlled.
2026 cycle
North America
25.0%controlled or captured: 1 of 4 entries in 2 jurisdictions
- State-Controlled1
- Independent State-Funded1
- Independent Public2
The U.S. Agency for Global Media remains State-Controlled. PBS returned to the dataset as Independent Public after a reassessment, despite the loss of its federal funding, and Canada’s CBC remains Independent State-Funded.
Latest from the 2026 cycle
All regional overviewsIndependent by Exception: the 2026 Global Study released
The annual study maps 588 entries in 168 jurisdictions and finds independence concentrated in Europe, with the non-independent share outside Europe at its highest since 2022.
State and Public Media in Europe in 2026
38 jurisdictions, from the Nordic public broadcasters to Serbia and Turkey. Independent entries form a majority for the first time since 2022.
105entries59independent6upgradesRead the analysis- List of State and Public Media in EuropeAll 105 European entries and their classifications since 2022
- U.S. Agency for Global MediaWhy USAGM remains State-Controlled in 2026
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)Back in the dataset as Independent Public
- Spain’s RTVE upgraded to the independent categoryThe evidence behind the move
- State and Public Media in Eurasia in 2026Twelve jurisdictions, two independent entries
- State and Public Media in Asia in 2026111 entries across East, Southeast and South Asia
- State and Public Media in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2026Why strong press freedom does not make a broadcaster independent
- State and Public Media in the Middle East and North Africa in 2026Near-total control, exercised through a wide set of tools
- State and Public Media in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2026145 entries in 41 countries
Sub-regional analyses from the 2026 cycle
- South Asia reform on paper, control in practice
- Central America control by default, independence by institution
- Northern Africa one architecture, no independent exception
- Middle East a region built on state control
- Western Africa divided press-freedom outcomes
- Southern Africa the government still holds the microphone
- Middle Africa a uniform architecture
- Eastern Africa a captive landscape, slowly diverging
Seven models, three levers
Every entry is tested on who pays for it, who runs it and who decides what it reports. The more of those levers a government holds, the less independent the newsroom.
| Model | Funding | Ownership or governance | Editorial line | Entries, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State-Controlled SCThe state pays, appoints and steers the news. The most widespread model in the world. | State controls | State controls | State controls | 367 |
| Captured Public CaPuState-owned or state-managed, with that position used to shape coverage, whether or not the state is the main funder. | Partly or indirectly | State controls | State controls | 79 |
| Captured Private CaPrPrivately owned, but kept in line through state advertising, public contracts or owners allied with those in power. | Partly or indirectly | No state control | State controls | 47 |
| Independent State-Funded and State-Managed ISFMFunded and run by the state, which leaves editorial choices to journalists. Independence rests on restraint, so it stays fragile. | State controls | State controls | No state control | 50 |
| Independent State-Funded ISFRelies mainly on state money, but the state neither owns it nor controls its boards. | State controls | No state control | No state control | 15 |
| Independent State-Managed ISMState-owned or state-governed but not mainly state-funded, and its editorial autonomy is respected. | No state control | State controls | No state control | 12 |
| Independent Public IPFunding and governance designed to keep government out, backed by working editorial safeguards. | No state control | No state control | No state control | 18 |
State controlsPartly or indirectlyNo state control
Profiles worth reading
Profiles set out the evidence behind each classification. These seven tell the story of the 2026 cycle.
Who moved in 2026
45 entries changed category this cycle. Moves into and out of the independent family:
Into the independent family
- ↑RTVE, SpainState-Controlled to Independent State-Funded and State-Managed
- ↑CARTV, Aragón, SpainState-Controlled to Independent State-Funded and State-Managed
- ↑BNR, BulgariaState-Controlled to Independent State-Funded and State-Managed
- ↑HINA, CroatiaState-Controlled to Independent State-Funded and State-Managed
- ↑MRT, North MacedoniaState-Controlled to Independent State-Funded and State-Managed
- ↑Czech Radio, CzechiaCaptured Public to Independent Public
Out of the independent family
- ↓TVRI and RRI, IndonesiaIndependent State-Funded and State-Managed to State-Controlled
- ↓Sky News Arabia, UAEIndependent State-Managed to Captured Public
- ↓PBC, JamaicaIndependent State-Funded to State-Controlled
- ↓SRCI, MexicoIndependent State-Funded and State-Managed to State-Controlled
- ↓SIBC, Solomon IslandsIndependent State-Funded and State-Managed to State-Controlled
Also in 2026: 15 Asian outlets moved from State-Controlled to Captured Public on new funding evidence, and nine Hungarian entries left the mapping after the change of government. Every change in the appendix
How a classification is made
- Gather the evidenceBudgets and revenue sources, ownership records and appointment rules, and the outlet’s editorial record, collected by country researchers.
- Ask three questionsDoes the state provide most of the money? Does it own the outlet or control who runs it? Does it shape what gets reported?
- Assign one of seven modelsThe pattern of answers places the outlet in the State Media Matrix, from State-Controlled to Independent Public.
- Review it every cycleProfiles are updated region by region, with a global study each autumn. Outlets that close, merge or fall out of scope leave the active roster but stay in the record.
Data collection began in 2004. More than 600 researchers have contributed, through projects including Television Across Europe, Mapping Digital Media and the Media Influence Matrix. Read the methodology
Questions the data often raises
Why are operators counted, not channels?
A broadcaster running ten TV channels counts once, so countries with large and small state networks can be compared fairly. Since 2022, outlets run by separate operators are counted separately, which is why Nigeria’s state-level broadcasters appear as individual entities.
Can a private outlet be state media?
Yes, when control is persistent and systemic. The Captured Private model covers privately owned outlets whose coverage is steered by people or businesses linked to state power, usually through advertising, public contracts or allied owners. All 13 of Europe’s Captured Private entries are in Serbia and Turkey.
If a country has a free press, why isn’t its broadcaster independent?
Because a competitive media market does not build safeguards inside the public broadcaster. In Latin America and the Caribbean, State-Controlled national broadcasters operate in several countries that rank among the freest media environments in the Americas.
Does a shorter list mean looser control?
Not necessarily. Eurasia’s roster fell from 69 to 60 entries in 2026 after ownership reviews and removals, yet no entry moved into the independent family. Where ownership is opaque, the mapping captures only the state influence that can be verified.
Is every reclassification an upgrade or a downgrade?
No. In 2026, 15 Asian outlets, among them Xinhua and Vietnam Television, moved from State-Controlled to Captured Public because predominant state funding could not be demonstrated. Both models are non-independent, and political control over them remains direct.
What happens when an outlet leaves the mapping?
Its record stays in the database with the cycle and the reason for removal. In 2026, nine Hungarian entries were removed after the change of government altered their state links; none of them became an independent entry.
Are established democracies exempt?
No. The U.S. Agency for Global Media was downgraded to State-Controlled in 2025 and remains there, and Lithuania’s LRT left the Independent Public category in 2026 after a budget freeze. Classifications follow the evidence, not a country’s reputation.
Studies and data
Global Study archive- 2026Independent by ExceptionThe 2026 Global Study: 588 entries in 168 jurisdictionsWeb and PDF
- 2025Independence Under SiegeThe 2025 Global Study: 606 entriesArticle and PDF
- 2024Key Findings of State Media Monitor 2024A short overview in place of a full reportArticle
- 2023From Puppet to PowerhouseA global study of the independence of state and public mediaArticle and PDF
Using the data?
The dataset has a permanent DOI on Zenodo. Please cite it as:
Dragomir, M. (2026). State Media Monitor Global Dataset 2026 (Version 2026.1) [Data set]. Media and Journalism Research Center. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23863495
Click the reference to select it.View the Zenodo record
Our data and findings have been cited, discussed or presented by
Seen a change we should review?
If a broadcaster’s funding, board or editorial line has shifted, send us the evidence. Every classification can be revisited.