Kuensel Corporation – State Media Monitor

Kuensel (meaning “clarity” in Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan) is the country’s flagship newspaper and holds the distinction of being the oldest and most widely circulated print outlet in the kingdom. For many years, Kuensel enjoyed a monopoly over Bhutan’s newspaper landscape—a dominance that ended in 2006 with the advent of privately owned competitors, which brought a new level of pluralism to Bhutanese media.

Media assets

Publishing: Kuensel

State Media Matrix Typology

Ownership and governance

Kuensel Corporation Ltd. is a publicly listed company, with the Government of Bhutan retaining a controlling 51% stake. This majority shareholding entitles the state to significant influence over corporate decisions, particularly in appointing members to the company’s board and in shaping long-term strategic direction.

According to Bhutan Press Mirror (Journalists’ Association of Bhutan), Ugyen Penjor is serving as the CEO of Kuensel Corporation.

Source of funding and budget

The corporation operates primarily on commercial revenue streams, including advertising, newspaper subscriptions and sales, and third-party printing contracts.

According to its published financial statements, Kuensel reported a turnover of BTN 120.9 million (approximately USD 1.5 million) in 2022. This figure rose to BTN 145.7 million (approximately USD 1.7 million) in 2023, reflecting a modest but steady growth in income, particularly from its advertising and printing divisions.

As of mid‑2025, Kuensel has not yet released its audited financial statements for 2024, so official figures for total revenue and profit remain unpublished.

Kuensel continues to navigate the dual pressures of financial sustainability and digital transition. The company has expanded its digital offerings in response to a slow but growing shift in audience habits toward online consumption. However, challenges remain, including limited internet penetration outside urban areas and a constrained advertising market.

Editorial independence

Despite the government’s majority stake, there is no formal regulatory mechanism granting the state direct control over editorial operations. Notably, there is no evidence to suggest overt interference in the editorial decision-making process. An independent qualitative analysis conducted by the Media and Journalism Research Center in March 2023 found Kuensel’s reporting to be wide-ranging and free from overt governmental slant. This conclusion was reinforced by a subsequent content analysis in April 2024, which found its political reporting to be broadly balanced, with no discernible partisan bias.

Nevertheless, Kuensel lacks statutory safeguards or third-party oversight mechanisms to formally guarantee its editorial independence. No independent board, ombudsman, or regulatory body exists to assess or enforce impartiality standards, leaving editorial integrity reliant on internal policy and professional ethos.

July 2025