The Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) is the official news agency of the Cuban government. It was established in 1974 as the Agency of National Information (Agencia de Información Nacional). The agency produces news content in multiple languages and has a staff of 130 journalists. On average, it creates 50,000 news pieces annually.
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 scrutinizes all content produced and disseminated by the agency.
Source of funding and budget
There is no publicly available information regarding ACN’s funding. As local journalists and experts interviewed for this report reported, most of its budget is derived from a government budget allocation. Additionally, the agency generates supplementary income by selling its content to international media. ACN serves around 100 clients, including international wire services, television and radio stations, and print media companies.
Editorial independence
ACN reports news about Cuba-related facts, such as sports results and cultural activities. However, according to a content analysis conducted for this report in March 2024, their reports about political topics consistently praise the work and history of government officials. Their reporting consistently reflects a positive view of the state officials’ work.
There is no statute that establishes the independence of ACN and no independent assessment mechanism to validate its independence.
August 2024