The Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), which translates to National News Agency in Nepali, is the longest-standing news agency in Nepal, with a history dating back to 1961 when it was established through the merger of two privately owned news agencies.
Media assets
News agency: RSS
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
RSS is a wholly government-owned enterprise, managed by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.
Source of funding and budget
The Rashtriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) receives the majority of its funding from the government. State subsidies represent the largest component of the agency’s budget. Additionally, the RSS receives funding from a state advertising fund, which is used to finance media outlets in Nepal, according to data from local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in March 2023 and June 2024.
Editorial independence
Like all state media in Nepal, RSS is known as pro-government, its editorial coverage being visibly slanted in the government’s favor, according to local experts interviewed for this report in March 2023 and June 2024.
It has not been possible to identify any domestic legislation or independent assessment or oversight mechanism to validate the agency’s editorial independence.
September 2024