The Khmer Times launched an online edition in early 2014. In a relatively short period of time, the publication transitioned to a weekly newspaper format. In 2015, the publication transitioned to a daily newspaper format.
Media assets
Publishing: Khmer Times
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Private (CaPr)
Ownership and governance
The Khmer Times is under the ownership of Mohan Tirugmanasam Bandam, a Malaysian businessman, and one of his daughters, Ashwini Rajkumari Mohan. Mohan has a close relationship with the Cambodian government.
Source of funding and budget
The newspaper’s proprietor asserts that the publication is entirely self-funded through commercial sources, primarily advertising revenue. However, the newspaper has been embroiled in a series of scandals indicating that the owner, who is closely affiliated with the government, has also accessed state funds to support the Times.
Editorial independence
The publisher of The Khmer Times is known to have close ties to the authorities and to adhere to an editorial line that is favorable to the government. In recent years, there have been instances where stories critical of the government or businessmen close to the government in Cambodia have been removed from the Khmer Times website. This suggests that the government is interfering with the publication’s editorial decisions.
There is no evidence that the Khmer Times has any statutes in place, nor is there an independent assessment mechanism in place to validate the editorial independence of the publication.
September 2024