Tesfa News is a state-run digital news portal operated by the Eritrean government. Launched in 2010, the platform primarily targets international audiences and members of the Eritrean diaspora, offering news and opinion pieces in English. It has long been seen as a complementary outlet to Eritrea’s official media ecosystem, amplifying government perspectives through a more modern, web-based format.
Media assets
News agency: TesfaNews
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
Tesfa News is owned and governed by the Eritrean government, with editorial control reportedly exercised by officials within the Ministry of Information. Although the website presents itself as an independent news platform, reporting by Eritrean journalists and external media watchdogs confirms that it functions as an unofficial extension of state propaganda, reflecting official government messaging.
Source of funding and budget
Tesfa News is fully state-funded, according to multiple Eritrean journalists interviewed in 2022 and again in 2025. However, as of June 2025, no public financial data is available regarding the portal’s operational budget or staff salaries. The Eritrean government does not release line-item budget allocations, and Tesfa News is not mentioned in any formal public expenditure documentation.
Editorial independence
Tesfa News does not possess editorial independence. It consistently promotes state policies and leadership narratives and does not publish critical content or dissenting views. The site has been used to discredit exiled journalists, opposition figures, and international human rights organizations, often through anonymous op-eds or unattributed commentary aligned with the state’s position.
There is no domestic statute establishing the editorial independence of Tesfa News. Additionally, no independent regulatory or oversight mechanism exists to monitor or evaluate the site’s journalistic standards or governance.
Tesfa News remains active, although its output has significantly declined since late 2023, and its website has experienced intermittent downtime throughout early 2025. Social media activity linked to the outlet—primarily via Twitter (X) and Facebook—has also decreased sharply, raising questions about its current operational capacity. While not officially closed, the outlet is considered to be in a semi-dormant state, with no new articles published between February and May 2025. No official explanation has been provided by the Eritrean government.
May 2025