Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) is the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority. Its history dates back to the period before the Authority was established. The agency offers news in four languages.
Media assets
News agency: WAFA
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
WAFA’s history goes back to 1972 when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) issued a decision that established its news agency. At the time, the agency’s mission was to counter the “dominant” Israeli propaganda and offer the perspective of the PLO.
In 2008, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, issued a decree merging a state department in charge of information with the Palestinian News Agency into a new agency known as Palestinian News & Information Agency (WAFA). According to a presidential decree issued three years later, the management of WAFA is appointed by the Palestinian Authority.
Source of funding and budget
There is no official information about the sources of funding for WAFA. Still, according to local journalists interviewed for this report between December 2023 and April 2024, the agency operates thanks to an allocation from the state budget of the Palestinian Authority.
Editorial independence
As the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, WAFA has an editorial policy strictly following the authority’s policy, according to local journalists.
No domestic statute or body, or mechanism to independently validate the editorial independence of WAFA has been identified.
July 2024