Diario de Centro América is a newspaper founded in 1880 that combines two types of content: general public news (all favorable to the government) and official documents, mostly legal (including laws, regulations, and government decrees).
Media assets
Publishing: Diario de Centro América
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
The newspaper depends on the Ministry of Interior, which defines the operation-related rules governing the newspaper. According to information shared by the ministry, the ministry appoints the newspaper’s director and editors.
Source of funding and budget
The bulk of the Diario de Centro América budget comes from the state budget, which in 2020 was worth GTQ 69.8m (US$ 9m), according to the latest annual report from the company. The publication by the newspaper of various official documents from other state authorities than the government is financially covered by the respective bodies, these payments boosting the outlet’s budget.
Editorial independence
The government has complete control over the news content of Diario de Centro América. An informal content analysis run by our local experts for this project in April 2023 found that most of the stories in Diario de Centro América are designed to promote the president and his administration. Most of the stories highlight the merits of the government. The news pieces and the opinion columns are primarily focused on the “achievements” of the government. The newspaper has very detailed rules about its operations, but none of it is designed to ensure its independence. These rules are drafted by the interior ministry.
No domestic statute or independent assessment/oversight mechanism in charge of validating the editorial independence of the Diario de Centro América has been identified.
July 2024