Montsame is Mongolia’s state-owned news agency. The name is derived from Mongolyn Tsakhilgaany Medee (Mongolian Electronic News). The agency was established in 1921. The agency also publishes Mongolia Today magazine and the Mongolia Messenger newspaper, as well as publications in Russian, Japanese and Chinese.
Media assets
News agency: Montsame
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Montsame is a state-owned company whose director is appointed by the Prime Minister, according to information obtained from local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in May 2023 and June 2024.
Source of funding and budget
Local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in May 2023 and June 2024 have confirmed that Montsame is fully funded through an allocation from the state budget.
Editorial independence
Montsame’s editorial policy is subject to strict government control. The agency’s resources are primarily allocated to coverage of the government’s activities and policies, as reported by local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in May 2023 and June 2024.
To date, no domestic statute or independent assessment mechanism that would validate Montsame’s editorial independence has been identified.
September 2024