Established in 1997, Oman News Agency (ONA) is the official news agency of the government of Oman. It produces news in English and Arabic.
Media assets
News agency: ONA
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
ONA was established through the Royal decree No. 39/1996 as a state-owned news agency. In 1997, ONA became part of OEPPA as decreed by the Royal decree No 43 of 1997. A later decree, No 75/2006, transferred ONA to the Ministry of Information, which now makes all the decisions regarding the activity of ONA and its management.
Source of funding and budget
ONA is funded through a state subsidy allocated to the agency via the Ministry of Information, according to journalists and experts who have followed Oman in recent years.
Editorial independence
ONA operates under a strict set of editorial rules that do not permit any criticism of the authorities. ONA’s mission is to produce news about Oman and to promote the policies and viewpoints of the country’s leadership.
No domestic statute and no independent assessment/oversight mechanism that would validate the independence of ONA have been identified.
August 2023