Passasson
Founded in 1950, Passasson—meaning “The People” in Lao—serves as the official mouthpiece of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP). As the party’s flagship weekly newspaper, it plays a major role in disseminating official ideology and shaping public discourse in Laos, a one-party socialist republic. The publication remains central to the LPRP’s media apparatus and continues to function as both an internal propaganda tool and a vehicle for international party-to-party communication, particularly with other communist and socialist movements worldwide.
Media assets
Publishing: Passasson
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
Passasson is wholly owned and operated by the LPRP. As a party-run organ in a single-party system, its leadership and editorial board are directly appointed by the party’s Central Propaganda and Training Board, with all staffing subject to party vetting and approval. Editorial priorities are tightly coordinated with the party’s strategic communication goals.
Source of funding and budget
Like many state-affiliated outlets in Laos, Passasson has made modest attempts to diversify its income streams over the past five years, primarily by courting domestic advertising. However, according to interviews with local media experts and journalists conducted in December 2023, the publication continues to rely heavily on government allocations for the bulk of its operational budget. No official budgetary breakdown has been made public, and neither the party nor the publication discloses audited financials or annual reports.
Editorial independence
As an explicitly partisan outlet, Passasson operates with no pretence of editorial autonomy. Its content mirrors the official stance of the LPRP, featuring extensive coverage of party congresses, ideological education, state initiatives, and regional communist diplomacy. According to multiple local sources interviewed in late 2023, the newspaper plays a key role in reinforcing ideological conformity across both government and society.
To date, there is no statutory provision guaranteeing editorial independence at Passasson, nor does any external oversight body exist to monitor its content or assess its independence. The paper’s function remains deeply intertwined with the LPRP’s broader propaganda and political messaging strategy.
July 2025