Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) is the official news agency of the Cuban government. It was founded in 1974 as Agencia de Información Nacional (Agency of National Information). It produces news content in various languages (Spanish, French, English, Portuguese and Esperanto). It employs 130 journalists. The agency produces on average 50,000 pieces of news a year.
Media assets
News agency: ACN
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
ACN is owned and its governing structures are controlled by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, which vets all the content produced and disseminated by the agency.
Source of funding and budget
There is no public information about the budget of ACN. The bulk of its budget comes from a government budget allocation, according to local journalists and experts. The agency also sells its content to international media, generating some additional income. It has some 100 clients now, including international wire services, television and radio stations and print media companies.
Editorial independence
Although ACN disseminates news about facts related to Cuba (including sport results or cultural activities), when it comes to political themes, its reports always laud the work and history of the government officials. Their reporting is as a rule commendable of the work of the state officials.
There is no statute that establishes the independence of ACN and no independent assessment mechanism to validate its independence.
August 2023