Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias (AGN) was established in 2010 as the official news agency of the Guatemalan government.
Media assets
News agency: AGN
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
According to local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in May 2024, AGN depends entirely on the Secretariat for Social Communication of the Presidential Administration. Along with TGW radio station and Diario de Centro América, AGN is fully controlled by the Guatemalan government. Francis Masek, an employee of the Secretariat, is the director of AGN.
Source of funding and budget
The Secretariat for Social Communication of the Presidential Administration allocates AGN’s budget. According to local journalists and experts interviewed for this report in May 2024, the agency receives roughly GTQ 40m (US$ 5m) annually.
Editorial independence
With the government controlling its editorial policy, AGN’s mission is to promote and disseminate information about the government’s plans, programs, and strategies. The government fully controls AGN’s content.
No domestic statute or independent assessment/oversight mechanism to validate the AGN’s editorial independence has been identified.
July 2024