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
As highlighted by local journalists and experts consulted in May 2024, the Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias (AGN) operates solely under the auspices of the Secretariat for Social Communication within the Presidential Administration. Alongside TGW radio station and Diario de Centro América, AGN is entirely under the Guatemalan government’s thumb. At the helm of AGN is Francis Masek, a staff member of the aforementioned Secretariat, who serves as its director.
Source of funding and budget
The budget for AGN is overseen by the Secretariat for Social Communication within the Presidential Administration. Based on insights from local journalists and experts consulted for this report in May 2024, the agency is said to operate with an annual allocation of roughly GTQ 40m (approximately US$ 5m).
Editorial independence
Under the firm grip of government oversight, AGN’s editorial agenda is geared towards broadcasting and championing the administration’s initiatives, programs, and strategic objectives. The government wields absolute authority over the organization’s content.
Notably, no domestic legislation, independent evaluation, or governance framework has been uncovered to ascertain AGN’s editorial independence.
April 2025