Algérie Presse Service (APS) is the official news agency of Algeria. It was founded in 1961 in the wake of the war for national liberation.
Media assets
APS
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
APS was established through the executive decree no. 91-104 of 1991 as a public establishment “with an industrial and commercial character.”
The highest governing structure at APS is its Administration Council, which has 10 members (including the Director General), four of whom are representatives of government bodies (various ministries). The council is chaired by the Director General who is appointed through a presidential decree. APS is subordinated to the Ministry of Communication.
Source of funding and budget
APS is financed through a combination of state funding and revenue from the agency’s own activity (sales of content or subscription to its services). APS has not published financial data recently. According to local experts who viewed an APS budget in recent years, the state allocation accounts for over 70% of APS’ total budget. In 2021, APS received from the Ministry of Communication a total subsidy of DZD 544m (US$ 4m).
For 2022, APS received from the government over DZD 550m, according to our local expert interviewed for this report.
Editorial independence
As an official state agency, APS is tasked with providing news and information about the government’s plans and activities. Although it publishes other information and covers many more beats, the agency is known for not engaging in any critical coverage of the country’s authorities, according to local journalists and experts.
In recent years, the agency has relentlessly increased its critical coverage of Morocco, its rival neighbor, following pressures and directives from the government. Much of that coverage consists of false news.
The decree that established APS puts forward a series of provisions governing the agency’s news content. However, no domestic statute and no independent assessment or oversight mechanism that validates the editorial independence of APS have been identified.
August 2023