Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) is Kuwait’s official state news wire service. The agency was established in 1956.
Media assets
News agency: KUNA
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
KUNA operates as a branch of the Ministry of Information, which owns it. The agency has a Board of Directors consisting of its chair and director general and another four members all appointed by the Cabinet based on nominations by the Ministry of Information.
Source of funding and budget
KUNA is fully funded through a state subsidy. Unlike Kuwait Television and Kuwait Radio whose budgets are included in the ministry of information financial expenditures, KUNA has its own budget line, according to our own intel gathered from scholars based in Qatar.
Editorial independence
KUNA operates in line with a series of editorial rules established by the Ministry of Information. The agency is the official channel for all key announcements and statements made by the government.
No domestic statute and no independent assessment/oversight mechanism that would validate the independence of KUNA have been identified.
August 2023