Cyprus News Agency (CNA) – State Media Monitor

Established in 1976, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) is the largest news agency in Cyprus. In recent years, it has undergone some notable changes in its leadership and financial situation.

Media assets

News agency: CNA

State Media Matrix Typology

Ownership and governance

The CNA operates under a 1989 law, which established it as an independent and autonomous institution. It is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors, primarily comprising representatives of journalists from institutions such as the Cyprus Journalists Union, the Cyprus Newspaper and Magazine Publishers Association, and CyBC. Additionally, there are members of the Press and Information Office (PIO) at the Ministry of Interior on the board, but they do not form the majority.

Since September 15, 2024, the Chairman of the Board has been Andreas Frangos, succeeding Iosif Iosif. The position of Director is held by Dinos Phinicarides, who was appointed on May 7, 2024. Prior to this, Giorgos Christodoulidis served as Acting Director from March 2021 to April 2024.

Source of funding and budget

The CNA does not publicly disclose its financial data. However, according to media reports, the agency’s funding comes from a combination of state subsidies and revenues from subscriptions sold to news media and state authorities. The state contributes over 50% to the CNA’s annual budget. In 2022, the CNA operated with a budget of €2.9 million, with €2.1 million from the state. In 2023, the budget was €2.94 million, with the government’s contribution increasing to €2.58 million.

Editorial independence

The government does not impose editorial rules on the CNA, and there is no evidence of direct government control. An ad hoc content analysis of the agency’s editorial output carried out by Media and Journalism Research Center in May 2022 and again in May 2024 found consistent results: the content was diverse and balanced.

The CNA Law formally established the agency as a news outlet with complete editorial independence. However, it’s worth noting that no independent assessment or oversight mechanism has been identified to validate this editorial independence.

August 2025